Residents in Tamworth's outer suburbs have won a months-long battle to get their mail delivered right to their properties.
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Since August, residents on Langens Lane in Moore Creek have been making half-hour drives to Taminda to pick up their post and parcels, but thanks to a neighbourhood-wide effort, relief is on the horizon.
"We have been reviewing delivery services in the area and can confirm that from 23 October 2023 our customers in Langens Lane will receive delivery directly to their individual property addresses," an Australia Post spokesperson told the Leader.
The good news for residents comes after nearly half a year of emails and calls between residents, Australia Post, delivery contractor Pony Express, Tamworth Regional Council, and most recently the Leader.
![Langens Lane residents Sarah Hobson, Tony and Roybn Atkins, and Brad Dunn were fed up after almost two months of not getting mail deliveries. Picture by Peter Hardin Langens Lane residents Sarah Hobson, Tony and Roybn Atkins, and Brad Dunn were fed up after almost two months of not getting mail deliveries. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/db747b52-ef41-48e5-8bb9-a19da333737b.jpg/r0_0_8256_5504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Here's how the battle unfolded.
It started in April, when Australia Post sent a letter to residents in Moore Creek advising them on how to receive roadside delivery service.
"Your delivery driver delivers letters and parcels to your letterbox which is situated at the entrance to your property. The larger the box, the more items we can deliver," the letter read.
"You can help us by installing a letter box that is large enough to take the majority of items you receive."
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The letter confused residents on Langens Lane, whose letterboxes had always been in a cluster at the entrance to the lane, not their properties.
"Because it was worded like we were already getting that service, but we just didn't have big enough boxes, I contacted Australia Post and they said we should be getting it. They didn't realise our letter boxes were at the end of the road," resident Sarah Hobson said.
![Langens Lane, about 20 kilometres north of Tamworth's CBD, is currently undergoing road wroks to improve safety. Picture by Peter Hardin Langens Lane, about 20 kilometres north of Tamworth's CBD, is currently undergoing road wroks to improve safety. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/e5676a5e-b71a-4c07-bdd2-1ee7ff5ba34b.jpg/r0_0_8256_5504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Over the next few months, Ms Hobson and seven of her neighbours installed large letter boxes at the entrances to their properties.
Australia Post later clarified to the Leader that the letter in question had been sent to nearly 1000 Moore Creek residents, and that the company never intended to instruct Langens Lane residents to build or move their letterboxes from the cluster at the end of the lane.
But the misunderstanding had already taken root, and at the end of August the neighbours notified Australia Post of their new letter boxes, and removed their old ones from the cluster, leaving only four behind at their owners' request.
![The cluster of Langens Lane letter boxes was moved to the new entrance of Langens Lane during works by Tamworth Regional Council. Picture by Peter Hardin The cluster of Langens Lane letter boxes was moved to the new entrance of Langens Lane during works by Tamworth Regional Council. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/7dfa7dbf-adcd-4f4b-93bc-faa6c630e9d9.jpg/r0_0_8256_5504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Two days later, Tamworth Regional Council relocated the remaining four letter boxes as part of a project to move the intersection of Langens Lane and Moonbi Gap Road.
For the four letter boxes that stayed in the cluster, service was never interrupted, and Australia Post told the Leader as much in its first statement on the subject.
"Australia Post is delivering mail daily to the Langen's Lane letterbox cluster, which was recently relocated due to a council road project," an Australia Post spokesperson said at the time.
![Service to the four letterboxes at the new cluster was never interrupted, but it was a different story for the other eight residents of Langens Lane. Picture by Peter Hardin Service to the four letterboxes at the new cluster was never interrupted, but it was a different story for the other eight residents of Langens Lane. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/53e56c35-74c1-42ce-8176-64317041caaa.jpg/r0_0_7314_4876_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But for the other eight residents, their big new letter boxes remained empty, leaving residents angry and confused on who to blame: Australia Post, Pony Express, or Tamworth Regional Council.
"Australia Post have said council advised them of the new delivery spot, and council has said 'no, that's not the case,' but if you talk to the Australia Post call centre they'll say we're entitled to roadside service, but if you talk to the [Pony Express] distribution centre they've said no," resident Robyn Atkins told the Leader.
The last straw, Ms Atkins said, was about a month later when she went all the way down to Taminda to retrieve a "failed" delivery and discovered her cousin had sent her a $150 bouquet of flowers, which were now shrivelled and dying in the delivery centre.
![Langens Lane resident Sarah Hobson contacted the Leader on behalf of herself and her neighbours to call attention to the situation. Picture by Peter Hardin Langens Lane resident Sarah Hobson contacted the Leader on behalf of herself and her neighbours to call attention to the situation. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/3dffb7be-08a2-4374-80cf-d35e7a14091d.jpg/r0_0_7421_4947_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
At this point, the residents got in touch with the Leader to do a story on the situation.
"All we want is to get our bloody mail," Ms Hobson said as she explained their ongoing hardships.
On October 16, the Leader sent a request for comment to Australia Post.
The mail carrier quickly got in touch to provide background information and an official statement, and a day later, the Leader received a second, amended statement which said customers on Langens Lane will receive delivery directly to the entrances of their properties from October 23, putting an end to the drawn-out delivery drama.
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