Pimpama and Coomera still waiting for post office despite massive growth
It’s Queensland’s fastest growing region, with a population touching 50,000 and a massive new hospital under construction, but locals in Coomera/Pimpama are still without a basic service taken for granted in most Aussie towns.
Gold Coast
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It’s one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia, but although it’s got new schools, a massive $1.3 billion hospital under construction and even a Costco, residents of the Pimpama/Coomera area say they are lacking one basic service – a proper post office.
At the time of the 2021 census the area had a combined population of almost 45,000, however residents who miss a parcel delivery or need help with bill payments are forced to drive through the traffic-choked Exit 54 overpass to reach the Licenced Post Office (LPO) at Upper Coomera.
The next nearest options are at Helensvale Plaza – 11km south down the M1 from Coomera Town Centre – or at Ormeau LPO, almost 13km north.
The only facility available in Pimpama is a Community Postal Agent (CPA) counter within a Pimpama City tobacco shop that offers limited services. There is also a parcel locker facility at the centre and at Harbour Village in Coomera.
On Wednesday the Bulletin reported the area was getting another McDonald’s drive-through restaurant, its third, but Australia Post still has no plans to open a full-service post office in the region.
Coomera MP Michael Crandon said residents were fed up having to drive congested roads – in particular across Exit 54 – to access services available locally to other Gold Coast residents.
“It’s been raised with me several times. It’s painful, we’re the fastest-growing region in Queensland. And that’s just Pimpama,” Mr Crandon said.
“It beggars belief that we don’t yet have a post office there.”
In comments on a post on the Pimpama Neighbours Facebook page, locals said the Upper Coomera post office was “overwhelmed” by the demand on it, with a line “always out the door”.
“I absolutely hate when parcels end up at Upper Coomera Post Office it’s always busy and so inconvenient,” one person wrote.
“I waited 45 minutes at Upper Coomera last week,” another resident said.
On Tuesday Australia Post officially opened a new 15,087sq m parcel facility in Arundel.
Australia Post executive general manager of network operations Rod Barnes said the facility was needed because of extraordinary growth in demand on the Gold Coast.
“As one of Queensland’s biggest cities, we’ve seen parcel volumes increase by 97 per cent since 2019, with data indicating almost 280,000 Gold Coast households shopped online in the past year,” he said.
“This increased demand has seen the Gold Coast become our largest posting zone outside the major capitals, with substantial inbound and outbound product.”
Fadden MP Cameron Caldwell said he hoped the investment would be complimented with better facilities in Coomera and Pimpama.
“Our growing communities in the north of the city deserve basic services like Australia Post outlets,” he said.
“While we appreciate the recent investment in Arundel’s new Parcel Facility, the lack of a post office in Coomera and Pimpama are seeing locals left behind.
“As bank branches continue to abandon communities, Australia Post are increasingly needing to pick up the slack.
“Many residents – especially elderly members of our community – rely on Australia Post for their bill payment and banking needs.”
An Australia Post spokesperson said it was ”monitoring” the situation in Coomera and Pimpama.
“Australia Post regularly reviews its post office network and areas of population growth, and will continue to monitor Coomera and Pimpama. Currently the community is serviced by the Upper Coomera Post Office and Pimpama Community Postal Agency,” the spokesperson said.
“Australia Post is committed to investing in services and facilities in southeast Queensland.
“(On Tuesday) we officially opened a brand new $12 million parcel facility on the Gold Coast, underlining our commitment to the local community.”
AN HOUR-LONG CHORE TO VISIT POST OFFICE
Coomera woman Carlee Noble travels across the M1 to use services at the Upper Coomera post office once a week.
Ms Noble said the journey often took 20 minutes each way due to heavy traffic, while the post office itself was “always busy” – meaning she needed to allow an hour for every visit.
“It’s very annoying,” Ms Noble said.
“I have to travel over once a week to visit the post office and sit in traffic. Go across the highway to go to the closest post office.
“It’s absolutely crazy.”
Ms Noble, who has lived in Coomera for five years, said the area had grown a lot in that time and a full-service post office was badly needed.
“It would make a huge difference to myself and everyone,” she said.
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