A NEW mail system proposal from Australia Post has been called ludicrous by Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters.
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The proposed new system will see six redundancies at the Australia Post distribution centre in Bendigo as well as increasing mail delivery time by two days.
Delivery time will also require an additional two trucks to transport the mail from Bendigo to Dandenong for sorting and back again for delivery.
For people sending mail from one post code to another, their letter will leave one post code, head to Bendigo distribution centre, be sorted in Dandenong, return to the Bendigo distribution centre and be delivered to its intended address.
“This proposal is ludicrous. It just shows how Australia Post does not understand our region," Ms Chesters said.
“Cutting the regional mail service will disadvantage Bendigo families, businesses and our economy. It could be particularly damaging for businesses outside Bendigo’s CBD.
“The federal government has to act. Australia Post is 100 per cent owned by taxpayers. Central Victorians deserve to have a reliable postal service."
The proposed changes are planned to begin on March 3.
Communications Workers Union Victorian secretary Joan Doyle said the union was hoping to delay the change.
"We are taking action with the Fair Work Commission and hoping to moderate what happens," she said.
"We are asking for the implementation to be delayed and alternate proposals (to be heard).
"I don’t think it is necessary (just) to save a couple of million dollars.
"There are other things that Australia Post can cut."
The proposed six job redundancies are the latest in Bendigo's pubic sector job losses.
Ms Chesters stressed central Victoria's need for public sector jobs.
"This comes on the back of the closure of Bendigo’s ATO (eight jobs lost) and cuts to Centrelink," she said.
"This sets a bad trend for central Victoria amid increasing insecurity in the public service under Prime Minister Tony Abbott.”