Former mail contractor Fay Newman, along with Toongi resident Lesley Morgan, last week expounded on the need for rural mail services.

Their views come on top of Parkes MP Mark Coulton warning that postal services are being threatened by rising fuel costs.

Mrs Newman and Mrs Morgan supported Mr Coulton’s call for the Federal Government to extend the Fuel Tax Credits scheme or implement excise relief.

His suggestion needed consideration because the mail service was as important as any other service, Mrs Newman said.

“To keep people in the country you have to keep this service,” she said.

“It’s like a lifeline.”

She recalled the social side of delivering the mail during her 10 years as a contractor on the Peak Hill Road and the Old Dubbo Road.

To one farmer who would wave to her she was like a visitor, the outside world coming to them, Mrs Newman said.

The three-times-a-week mail service is essential to Mrs Morgan, owner of Toongi’s Little Quilt Shop.

“If there was no service, everyone would have to go to town to collect their mail,” she said.

Mrs Morgan sends and receives accounts and receives orders through the mail service to Toongi.

Local mail contractor Colin Meyer operates two rural mail runs.

He said rising fuel costs were not having an unchecked effect on his finances because after any 7 per cent increase in costs, contracts were adjusted.

Despite this adjustment, relief like that proposed by Mr Coulton would be “ideal”.

faye.wheeler@ruralpress.com