Recently the Senate delivered its report from an inquiry looking at the role of Australia Post in communities. The report said Australia Post was “making changes without involving stakeholders” which has led to a “growing divide”.

“This divide is particularly evident in the dysfunctional relationship between Australia Post and licensees who provided evidence to this inquiry,” the Senate report said.   

Mr Cooney said yesterday he was encouraged by the depth of the Senate report and that it received bipartisan support.

“Now we must wait and see if the federal government will approve all the recommendations,” he said.

“I think 17 out of the 18 recommendations were based around Licensed Post Offices and it’s definitely a positive outcome.”

The Gulgong licensee, who runs the Post Office with his wife, said the recommendations were also a vindication of the efforts by the Licensed Post Offices Group.

“Almost every single concern put on the table [by LPOG] was addressed,” he said.

Mr Cooney said he had watched Senators comment on the report after its release and some were scathing in their opinions as to how the relationship between Australia Post and stakeholders had fallen apart. 

He also thanked the Gulgong community for their support, including 475 submissions made to the inquiry on top of the Gulgong Community Action Group’s submission.

The Action Group’s submission included a collection of thoughts from the local community about how a potential closure of the Gulgong Post Office would affect the town, from increased travel and business costs to the loss of other services provided by Australia Post apart from mail. 

The Senate committee has recommended “consideration be given to the needs of remote, rural, and regional communities particularly where other service providers have ceased to operate.”

It also  recommended the federal Minister for Communications, Malcolm Turnbull, commission as a matter of urgency an independent audit of activities undertaken by Licensed Post Offices “specially to determine the validity of claims made by licensees that payments made under the LPO Agreement are not fair or reasonable.”

It was also recommended that should any recognised association request, Australia Post must renegotiate the terms and conditions of an LPO Agreement.

Should the recommendations be passed by the federal government, Australia Post will need to reassess post office box payments to licensees “to ensure that they reflect the true costs borne by licensees in providing this service.”

Australia Post has also been asked to review parcel storage requirements in Licensed Post Offices with a view to provide payment for licensees who incur additional storage costs. A review would also look at margins on postal products Australia Post sells to licensees, making sure they are in line with commercial practice.

Australia Post noted an independent review into the commercial performance of licensees as part of the inquiry confirmed “there are no systemic issues with the financial viability of the LPO network.”

“This report, commissioned by Australia Post at the request of the committee, shows that a series of new payments by Australia Post are directly benefiting licensees,” an Australia Post statement said.

The Post Office Agents Association said there were no recommendations concerning delivery contracts, including mail, parcel, RSD/rural and Star Track contractors. They also highlighted there is no recommendation that Australia Post remain in public ownership.