By Alesha Capone
A Wyndham councillor is calling for a post office to be built in Tarneit’s west to cater for the area’s growing population.
Chaffey ward councillor Josh Gilligan said is planning to lodge a notice of motion about the issue at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Speaking before the meeting, Cr Gilligan said the notice of motion will ask the council to write to Australia Post’s managing director requesting an investigation into building a post office in Tarneit west.
Cr Gilligan also wants council to write to Lalor MP Joanne Ryan, seeking her support.
The motion states that Tarneit is expected to be home to 131,000 residents by 2041.
It also stated that the existing post office at Wyndham Village shopping centre is expected to serve Tarneit, Truganina and Hoppers Crossing.
Cr Gilligan said he decided to submit the notice of motion after speaking to residents from Tarneit’s west and Truganina who said they would like a local post office.
“There has been strong community feedback from residents in The Grove, Habitat and Riverdale estates that they shouldn’t have to travel all the way to Wyndham Village to access a postal outlet,” he said.
Cr Gilligan said that Australia Post has actually “failed to meet their own performance standards by not providing a post office within a 2.5 kilometre radius of tens of thousands of Tarneit residents”.
According to Australia Post’s statement of corporate intent, 90 per cent of residences in metropolitan areas should be located within 2.5 kilometres of a retail postal outlet.
The Riverdale and Habitat estates are both more than six kilometres from Wyndham Village shopping centre, while The Grove is ABOUT five kilometres away.
An Australia Post spokesperson said they are aware of Cr Gilligan’s comments but that any formal inquiry about setting up a new post office would “go through our usual processes”.
Ms Ryan said: “I would welcome council working with Australia Post to establish services in the areas of Wyndham where it is most needed.”
