Outback Stores and Australia Post are strengthening access to essential postal services across some of Australia's most remote communities with 16 Community Postal Agents (CPA) in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland.
Operating alongside Outback Stores who manage and support Indigenous-owned community stores in Australia's most remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island locations, the CPAs give locals convenient access to services, including prepaid satchels, packaging, stamps and the ability to send and receive mail and parcels.
Outback Stores chief executive officer, Michael Borg, explained how important community stores are to locals in remote communities.
"Our community stores are often at the heart of remote communities," he said.
"Through our partnership with Australia Post, we are helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities access essential services, strengthen local opportunities, and stay connected to the people and services that matter most."
Australia Post general manager retail operations, Sarah Coe, said working with Outback Stores helps ensure people in rural and remote communities can continue to access services they rely on.
"We know our Post Office network plays a vital role in keeping communities connected, particularly in remote parts of Australia where access to services can be limited," Ms Coe said.
"By working with Outback Stores, we're supporting a model that reflects the needs of remote communities, making postal services easier to access while creating local employment opportunities."
The postal locations across the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland include: Wirliyajarrayi, Nyirripi, Lagulalya, Ntaria Supermarket and Campground, Wetenngerr, Engawala, Bonya, Urapunga, Nitjpurru, Janyima and Amanbidji in the Northern Territory; Gununamanda Store in Queensland; and Warmun Roadhouse, Kundat Djaru Community Store, Beagle Bay and Yiyili Community Store in Western Australia.
Australia Post are announced their inaugural Indigenous Employment Index, with 3 per cent of its workforce identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
