Residents rally for Glebe Post Office

More than 400 residents protesting the closure of Glebe’s historic post office were joined by a cross-section of state, local and federal politicians at a rally on Thursday, January 20.

Federal Member for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek, Lord Mayor Clover Moore, and the state member for Balmain, Verity Firth, all joined residents in protesting Australia Post’s decision to close the 125-year-old post office – a move they say will kill local businesses in the area.

Their concerns are also shared by Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who requested in a statement that Australia Post “give further consideration to the impact the proposed closure will have on residents.”

Rally chair Robyn Kemmis, from the Post Office in Glebe Action Group, said 4,500 people had signed a petition calling for the post office to stay open.

Speaking at the rally, Ms Plibersek said the post office played a key role in attracting people to the local shopping strip and that many Glebe residents, including the elderly or disabled, used it for essential services such as bill payments.

Australia Post defended the closure, saying there had been a decline in customers and it had to observe commercially sound practices to remain self-sustaining. A post office staffer said the branch had lost $750,000 over the past three years.

Australia Post added residents retain the option of four alternative post offices within a 1.3-kilometre radius.

Glebe will still be provided with 1,000 post office boxes.

Ms Firth stated before Christmas she would fight the closure of the post office “all the way”.

“Glebe Post Office provides an invaluable service to our community through access to face-to-face customer service for everything that Australia Post offers, including paying bills, stationery, and of course, postage,” she said.

Local business owners and community members have also hit back at claims the post office is no longer viable, saying it provides services to local community members who are not able to access alternatives.

“I’m on disability, so movement is an issue for me,” local and post office patron Carolyn Ienna said.

“I have chronic fatigue syndrome. So there is a limit to what I can do.”

Ms Ienna said she used the post office for sending parcels and paying her bills, as well as paying her rent and utilities.

“It’s much easier for me to just go to Glebe from where I am,” she said.

President of the Glebe Chamber of Commerce, Sofi Lidgren, said the post office also acted like an “anchor” for businesses in the local community.

“We need a centre that anchors people to the community, somewhere they come to,” she said.

“Glebe Post Office is such a place. People come to post a letter or pay a bill, and they stay for a coffee and maybe shop a little, get something from the supermarket while they’re here.

“Without the post office, that’s all gone.”