Amberly Park Pharmacy employees John Chua, Mitchell Timms and Brianna Timms join Casey councillor Lorraine Wreford with the petition signed by more than 500 By Callan Date
MORE than 500 people have signed a petition calling on Australia Post to do more for mailing services in Narre Warren South.
Amberly Park Shopping Centre is the focus of the petition calling for a post box or post office to be established at the shopping strip.
Local trader John Chua is leading the push and has helped gather the signatures.
The pharmacy owner has the support of Casey councillor Lorraine Wreford who presented the petition to the council last week.
Mr Chua said the amount of traffic passing through the shopping centre warranted at least a post box, if not a post office.
“The nearest post box is probably about one kilometre away in a secluded area,” Mr Chua said.
He said the petition had been in circulation for only about six weeks in various stores at Amberly Park Shopping Centre.
Australia Post officials responded positively to inquiries made by the News about new services in the area.
State communications adviser Gale English said Australia Post was reviewing the postal facilities in the area around Amberly Park, with a view to establishing a street posting box at the shopping centre.
“In regards to what’s taken into account when we decide where to place our street posting boxes, we look at what existing facilities there are in the area, to ensure that local residents are sufficiently serviced, and we continually review the existing facilities to ensure that they are placed and are being used to best advantage,” Ms English said.
Cr Wreford said she was concerned with the lack of mailing facilities in the area.
“If we look at the shopping centre, there are a range of different shops with hundreds of people coming in and out of that area every day,” she said.
“The community desperately want this and what it (the petition) goes to show is the community in that area are very concerned about the lack of facilities in the area.”
Ms English said the Amberly Park review would be completed within the next few weeks and Australia Post would then advise the community of its decision.
