Dear Fellow Residents of Malvern East/Chadstone; staff and visitors/shoppers of Chadstone Shopping Centre,

Let's stand together and preserve a vital asset for our community! The Chadstone Shopping Centre Post Office (Australia Post), a cornerstone of our neighbourhood, is facing imminent closure, and we need your support to stop it.

If you live nearby and is a resident of Malvern East, Chadstone; or you are a concerned resident from other suburbs; or if you are a visitor/ shopper of Chadstone Shopping Centre (SC), or you are a worker who works in the SC or nearby, please come together in objection against the proposed closure of the Australia Post Shop at Chadstone Shopping Centre. We call upon Australia Post to please reverse its decision and for the Federal Labor Government to intervene to prevent this closure from happening. Additionally, we ask Chadstone SC Management Office to please step in to discuss a reasonable rental amount with Australia Post or offer a smaller shop space if required so that they can remain open. Please keep it open!

The imminent closure of the Chadstone Shopping Centre Post Office, slated for June 21, 2024, has left our community in shock! This decision strikes at the heart of our community, undermining a vital asset that countless residents rely upon for essential services.

We express our profound disappointment with Australia Post's unilateral decision to shut the Chadstone SC Post Office. For many within our community, this post office serves as a lifeline, offering indispensable services such as postage, parcel delivery, banking, bill payment, passport services and many more like services like coins and stationeries merchandise.

The closure of Chadstone PO would have far-reaching consequences for our community, particularly for vulnerable demographics. With a population characterized by a higher-than-average proportion of people without internet access, individuals with disabilities, seniors over 80, and limited car ownership and household income, access to local services is paramount. Chadstone PO's closure would exacerbate existing inequalities and hinder access to crucial services for those who need them most.

Australia Post's decision to close Chadstone PO underscores a disregard for community needs, prioritizing cost-cutting measures over service provision. This decision not only jeopardizes local jobs but also perpetuates financial exclusion, diminishes access to essential services, and erodes community cohesion.

Furthermore, the closure of Chadstone PO is part of a troubling trend wherein Australia Post has closed numerous post offices across the country, neglecting the adverse impact on communities, particularly in big shopping centre like Chadstone SC. Chadstone PO is the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere and has a bus terminal that brings traffic to the centre. The centre contains 129,924m2 of shop floor space, about 530 stores and more than 9300 free car parking spaces. It has as many as 68,000 visitors on its busiest trading days and attracts about 400,000 tourists a year from interstate and 200,000 from overseas. It’s ridiculous that the largest shopping centre has no postal office on its premises!!

We cannot allow profit-driven decisions to dictate the fate of our community's essential services. The Chadstone Shopping Centre Post Office is more than just a place of business; it is a cornerstone of our community, fostering relationships, providing assistance, and serving as a vital hub for countless residents. The post office team has delivered great and personal service to all of us. They are like a family to us. The PO staff knows our name and they have built a great business relationship with us. We are very sad they are leaving, it’s like a family leaving us.

In light of the profound consequences of Chadstone PO's closure, we urge Australia Post to please reconsider its decision and uphold its commitment to serving communities. We implore the Federal Labor Government to step in and safeguard our local post office for the well-being and prosperity of our community. Furthermore, we urge the Chadstone SC Management Office to intervene by engaging in discussions with Australia Post regarding a fair rental agreement or the provision of a smaller shop space if necessary, thereby ensuring the continued operation of the post office.

Together, we can make a difference. By signing this petition today, you'll join us in sending a powerful message to Australia Post, the Government and Chadstone SC Management Office: Our local post office matters, and we won't let it disappear without a fight. We need it to remain open!!

Please join us in petitioning against this unjust closure! Let's stand together and save our local post office! Sign this petition today and help us preserve a vital asset for our community!

Thank you very much.

(P/S: Please share the link to everyone to support the petition. Thanks.)

God Bless,

Claire G.

Local resident of Malvern East/Chadstone