After waiting several years, residents of Stanley Village on the outskirts of Moree in NSW are celebrating their first mail delivery from Australia Post.
A Stanley Village resident, Mr Alf Priestly, had asked Australia Post to deliver mail to his community, but to no avail.
Instead, the people of Stanley Village had to travel to the Moree Post Office, a journey that proved difficult for many residents because of the lack of public transport in the area.
In July 2008, Mr Priestly approached the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) to help resolve the problem.
PIAC contacted Australia Post on Mr Priestly’s behalf, reminding them of their Australia-wide community services obligations. After some discussion, Australia Post agreed to deliver mail to Stanley Village.
PIAC also contacted the Moree Shire Council, which agreed to donate money towards the cost of installing mailboxes for Stanley Village.
‘PIAC became involved in the matter because of its interest in ensuring the equal provision of services to remote Indigenous communities’, said PIAC solicitor Ms Lizzie Simpson.
‘If we are serious about improving services to Indigenous Australians, then ensuring that Indigenous Australians get their mail is a good place to start.’
Any community experiencing a similar problem to is encouraged to contact PIAC on 02 8898 6500 or e-mail [email protected]
MEDIA CONTACT: Dominic O’Grady, Media and Communications Officer,
Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Ph: 02 8898 6532 or 0400 110 169