The local office of the federal treasurer Jim Chalmers has vowed to lead the charge on behalf of residents who are angry over a decision to close the Logan City Centre Australia Post office.
Australia Post has posted notes on its door and to customers, saying it will close March 24.
The entity comes under the jurisdiction of the federal office of Communications.
However, it argues the use of post boxes is low, and profitability not feasible due to low returns on bill payments and other third-party services.
Australia Post has said people will be able to choose other post offices nearby, including Woodridge which is 1.8km away, and Kingston which is 1.9km away.
Slacks Creek is 3.2km away, Underwood 4.4km, and Springwood 4.7km.
Mr Chalmers’ office is at Logan Central Plaza, which is positioned within 500m of the Logan Central Post office.
“This is a really disappointing decision,” the federal member for Rankin said.
“We’ve been hearing from locals who are concerned about the closure. It’s going to have an impact, particularly for older people who might find it harder to get to one of the other branches in our area.
“My office is collating feedback from locals on the impact of this decision, which we will pass on to Australia Post.”
MyCity Logan has received multiple calls from residents who felt Australia Post was an essential service that should remain open.
They said they were frustrated that banks had already closed, including the Commonwealth Bank branch at Logan Central Plaza nearby.
Owner of SuperSmart Furniture Joseph Massih who has been a long-term tenant at Logan City Centre, said it was devastating for his customers to see the post office go.
“These people are looking to pay their rates and their rent at the post office, and some of them are on the bread line,” Mr Massih said.
“This is not a joke. If they have to get a taxi to the next post office, that could mean an extra $20-$30 a week that they simply can’t afford.
“The post office has become a mini bank for these people. You can see the sadness in their eyes when they talk about it.”
Mr Massih said it was hard to believe Logan Central could not be feasible.
“Why are they going to close such a popular post office such as this and send people to places that are dead?”
