Residents prepare to fight for P.O.

Press, 19 October 1987, Page 4

Residents prepare to fight for P.O.

By

NIGEL MALTHUS

Redcliffs residents who organised a petition to save their post office last December are preparing to fight the battle a second time, with a deputation calling on their member of Parliament, Dr Peter Simpson, this morning. Mrs Ella Webb, the president of the Redcliffs Super Sixties Club, organised a petition which attracted more than 800 signatures when the local post office was rumoured to be closing last year. Redcliffs was named last week as among the 432 to close by February. Whether she organised another petition would depend on the meeting with Dr Simpson today, Mrs Webb said. “Naturally, we are terribly disappointed.” Mrs Webb said that Redcliffs was an area where “a terrific lot” of people went to retire. "How are the old people going to get to either Sumner or Wooiston (the two nearest remaining offices)?” She said that Redcliffs had no other banking service, while Sumner had two banks and Wooiston three. Many elderly people were “past driving cars,” but even for those with cars, there would be “no hope” of getting parking at Wooiston and parking

was limited at Sumner, said Mrs Webb.

Dr Simpson said last evening that he hoped he could offer the delegation some explanation of why the rationalisation of post offices 1 was being done, and some assurance that service would continue. He said that a very important part of the rationalisation was to improve the service that remained. If by cost-cutting it could be made streamlined and efficient, “the vast majority of people will be happy,” he said. Dr Simpson said the intention was to provide alternatives such as mobile offices. “I hope that I can make sure that the services of a mobile Postßank will come to Redcliffs.” Mrs Webb said that a mobile office might be acceptable “as long as the step is not too high for elderly people to get on to.” She also feared that an infrequent visiting service would force elderly people to take out larger sums at one time, and then be vulnerable to theft. Many local members, of Parliament reported a restrained reaction to the announcement of closings. The member for St Albans, Mr <Caygill, received a petition on Saturday calling for the St Albans Post Office in Bar-

badoes Street to be saved, but said that he did not see any real prospect of that Of the four in his electorate which will close, St Albans the highest subsidy. However, Mr Caygill would pass the petition on. "I am prepared to ask the Postmaster-General to have another look at it.” Mr Caygill said that the total subsidy had been trimmed from about $4O million to $23 million. Mr Caygill, who is the Minister of Health, said that $23 million was still “an awful lot of money." “I could spend. $23 million on health services, no trouble. And I would like to. These are the kinds of things we have to weigh up.” The member for Avon, Mr Larry Sutherland, said that he had received very little reaction, apart from an approach over the South New Brighton office, one of two expected to close in his electorate. If a suggested public meeting were held, he would be “more than willing to attend.” “My preference is to see it remain , open if it is possible. That depends on the reaction of people here. What I am prepared to do is listen to what my constituents say, and look at alternative means of providing a service,” he said.