Conrad Tobler, his daughter Amanda, and Red Hill butcher Leslie Leuluaialii-Markin are trying to keep positive in a bid to save their post office from closure. Photo: Supplied.
The Red Hill Post Office, which has been serving that local community for more than 50 years, will close on 20 December despite protests from neighbouring shops and locals and concern from the Member for Canberra, Alicia Payne.
Landlord Amanda Tobler, whose family has had a connection with the site since 1964, starting with her grandfather and father, both called Conrad, said adjoining businesses were devastated at the news, especially as its closure will come at one of the busiest times of the year for the post office – the week before Christmas.
She said the current tenant in the post office had decided to relinquish the lease.
“A new tenant has been found and is keen to take over, but Australia Post said it would not enter into an arrangement with a new tenant,” she said.
Ms Tobler said the decision had come as a blow to locals, particularly residents of the nearby nursing home.
“People who make these decisions don’t live in the affected community,” she said. “They don’t understand how something like this can affect a community. The older people who live around here can walk to the post office – the closest other one is Garran, which is two bus rides away, or Manuka, where there is never any parking.”
A petition protesting against the closure has already gathered hundreds of signatures.
The Member for Canberra, Alicia Payne, has also taken up the campaign to keep the post office open, writing to the Managing Director of Australia Post, Paul Graham, expressing concern about the lack of community consultation about the imminent closure.
She said she had received word from Australia Post on 22 October that the Red Hill Post Office would close on 20 December.
“I understand Australia Post has notified the community of the change, including information on six alternative outlets within 5 km of the closing of the LPO [Licensed Post Office],” she wrote.
“However, a significant number of people in the community still have concerns and have reached out to me for assistance.”
She said their concerns included an apparent lack of consultation from Australia Post, the significant number of aged people in the area unable to travel to other locations and the impact the post office closure would have on other businesses.
Ms Tobler said Red Hill was more than just a collection of shops, it was a community hub – “and we want to keep it going”.
A spokesperson for Australia Post confirmed that the Red Hill Post Office would close for the last time at 5 pm on Friday, 20 December, and thanked the licensee for “their dedicated service to the community”.
The spokesperson added that Australia Post customers could access postal services at Manuka Post Shop (2.7 km away), Garran Post Office (3.5 km) and Kingston Post Shop (3.8 km).
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