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12 NOVEMBER, 2024
Drawing on local support The annual Pencils Project school stationery drive is fast approaching, and organisers are drawing on community support. A grassroots not-for-profit based in Melbourne’s north west, the Pencils Project collaborates with schools, businesses, and community organisations to repurpose surplus stationery, ensuring it reaches students and schools that need it most. On Saturday, December 14, at the rear hall of the Brimbank Church of Christ in Keilor East, volunteers are needed to assist with various tasks to prepare donations for distribution. People of all ages are encouraged to participate. Registrations are appreciated in advance. To sign up visit: shorturl.at/Z30k0
The Pencil Project’s Jacqui Vassallo and Vanessa Di Valentino. (Damjan Janevski) 442134_04
Boxes are lost in the mail By Gerald Lynch In a heavily digitised world, many Brimbank residents are scratching their heads and asking the same question: where have all the post boxes gone? In Brimbank, residents have reported a number of red Australia Post boxes being removed without notice. With the recent local council elections being held exclusively through postal voting, and the festive season fast approaching, residents have felt left in the lurch trying to deliver their letters. Sunshine resident Christine Finco said she has seen lots of boxes being removed. “We lost our post box on Fairbairn Road, the one on Talintyre Road, and Wright Street, it’s annoying but I have a car so I can to to Glengala
post office and post letters, but I feel sorry for the people who don’t drive,” she said. “Australia Post could have left one on the main road.” Another local, Philip Kocovski uses mail services as part of his work, and the sudden removal of nearby boxes has added hurdles for him to complete his duties. “I run a small document translation business in the area that requires sending letters and translated documents to clients,” he said. “Inconveniently I now need to drive to Sunshine two to three times a week to do so. There was one about five minutes walk from my place previously.” Other boxes reported missing by residents include on Dinnell Street, Hertford Road, Maxweld Street, Mount Derrimut Road, Wright Street, Duke Street, Fitzgerald Road,
and Warwick Road. Council on the Ageing (COTA) chief executive Ben Rogers said the removal of post boxes and lack of communication is concerning for older residents. “Australia Post is closing post offices and post boxes across Victoria – often with little consultation, fanfare, or consideration of older people in the area. Australia Post needs to engage with communities to ensure its proposals support them, and not just its own back pocket,” he said. He said postal services still play a vital role in the lives of older Victorians, including paying bills and sending correspondence. “Reducing access to these services forces those with mobility challenges to travel farther to complete essential daily tasks, directly affecting their ability to age comfortably in
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their own communities,” he continued. An Australia Post spokesperson said the organisation makes decisions on removal based on multiple factors, including usage. “As we continue to see mail decline, we remove some Street Posting Boxes that are not frequently used, subject to vandalism or in areas where we have significant overlap,” the spokesperson said. “Australia Post regularly reviews the location of its Street Posting Boxes to ensure it can run an efficient postal network and has over 14,000 Street Posting Boxes nationally, which is well above the 10,000 required under the regulations. “Customers can find more information about post boxes in their area on the Australia Post website at auspost.com.au/locate or by calling 13 POST (13 76 78).”
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