The authorities has stopped in need of guaranteeing no job losses as a part of the Australia Post modernisation course of, moderately sustaining it’s dedicated to the viability of the essential service.
As the company prepares at hand down its first yearly monetary loss since 2015, chief government Paul Graham fronted senate estimates on Thursday.
The authorities is within the strategy of broadly consulting on an Australia Post modernisation course of, as fewer and fewer Australians ship or obtain letters or bodily go to Australia Post shops.
He warned that with out vital reform, the taxpayer may must entrance up prices to maintain Australia Post above water.
Assistant Infrastructure and Transport Minister Carol Brown, representing Communications Minister Michelle Rowland in estimates, was pressed on whether or not they may assure no job losses.
Asked thrice by Liberal senator Sarah Henderson, Senator Brown mentioned solely that the federal government undertook the modernisation course of because it was “absolutely focused on” the companies remaining viable.
“The government is going through the process and with that, it has a clear eye on rural and regional Australia and supporting those essential services that operate,” she mentioned.
“Our goal is to ensure that it remains sustainable in the long term.
“The government understands and acknowledges as critically important that the modernisation options include ways to ensure that businesses, particularly in regional areas, continue to provide a range of essential services.”
Mr Graham mentioned that with out vital change to the construction and operations of Australia Post, its long-term viability was in danger, given the governing Act was legislated “before the internet boom and the creation of smartphones”.
“The performance standards issued a quarter of a century ago are no longer fit for purpose for Australia Post or for the customers and communities we serve each and every day,” he mentioned.
“We now operate in a fiercely competitive environment.
“We want to keep Australia Post strong for all Australians, especially communities in rural and regional Australia.
“As a self-funded government business enterprise, we remain focused on strengthening the business so that we can continue to live on for the community. And this means adapting to meet the challenges facing us. We look forward to continuing to serve and help deliver a better tomorrow.”
Pressed as as to if Australia Post was so determined to economize it could shut branches in rural and regional Australia, Mr Graham mentioned it was “part of our DNA to always be present in regional and rural Australia”.
“Closing banks and closing post offices in regional Australia would not save Australia Post any money,” he mentioned.
“What would suffer is the community, and that is front and foremost in terms of our priority to ensure that those communities are serviced with the needs that they have, but those needs are changing.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
