95% of household letter boxes on our islands are almost ‘unusable’.
They are either too small or in the wrong position for an effective island mail delivery system.
Our ‘posties’ are at their wit’s end in trying to delivery the mail in an adequate manner.
Both Russell Island and Macleay Island posties are frustrated, as is the contractor for Lamb and Karragarra.
Compounding the issue is that our ‘posties’ are also getting busier and busier.
They are being pressured by the population growth which has been at a peak of late; with new letter boxes being installed at a considerable rate - more than 100 on each island over the past three months!
The problem is, are all these new letter boxes of the right size and are they in the right position?
Most of them are not.
Very few people give consideration to their letter boxes.
Macleay Island postie contractor Lennie Byrne says that many island residents think they are still on the mainland.
“The mail is different here.
“Also, mail delivery has changed thanks to the internet.
“There are less letters and more bulkier items.
“Trying to get them into a small letter box, is a joke.
“Delivering the mail on our islands takes twice as long as it should because of poorly selected and designed mail boxes out the front of island homes.”
Check them out up your street.
Small steel letter boxes designed to take small letters and a very small item, are totally inadequate.
“The bigger the better,” say our Posties.
Russell Island ‘postie’, Frank O’Rourke, says most island letter boxes in front of homes are too small and are often in a difficult position.
“We have to deliver on the run, so it is essential that letter boxes are easy for us to access with our small vehicles.”
Lennie Byrne added: “Bigger purchases and deliveries are now being made.
“Island letter boxes should be much bigger than most people install.”
You can help your postie by ensuring that your letter or mail box out the front of your home is AS BIG AS POSSIBLE!
Also, position it alongside your driveway, OUT THE FRONT as near to your front drain or at the start of your driveway, placing it on the RIGHT HAND SIDE of the DRIVEWAY looking at your house.
ALSO the posties and the emergency services would like you to make sure your street number is LARGE and EASILY IDENTIFIABLE at day and at night!
Make sure the NUMBER on your NEW, BIG mail box is LARGE and IRIDESCENT.
• The correct size mail box in the correct position for you island home. If it isn’t like this, then CHANGE IT with an upgrade and the right position!