The Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Mayor, General Manager and Facilities Manager will visit Wallendbeen to advise community members on how best to handle development approval for the new community post agency in the Memorial Hall.
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The agency, staffed by community members, was to have moved into the hall last Friday.
But on Thursday the council advised that a DA would be needed, and the hall could therefore not be used.
Despite this sudden obstacle, postal services went ahead without disruption.
The services continued from the old premises, with the new owners having “kindly” offered rent-free temporary accommodation.
The reason behind the council’s objection was apparently that the agency would represent a “change in class of use” of the hall, being a “commercial activity”.
A postal group spokesperson said it was not clear how the agency differed materially from a ballet class or fund-raising activities by local associations that have been a common occurrence in the hall, but hopefully the DA could be fast-tracked.
In the meantime, the group has applied for the registration of a Wallendbeen Community Association, which, subject to approval by Australia Post, will have ownership of the community post agency.
It is hoped the first general meeting of the association will be before the end of this month.
Australia Post announced in January that it would close the post office, offering a thrice-weekly “street delivery service” to post boxes put up on certain street corners at residents’ expense.
In mid-January, rows of tomato stakes with house numbers were driven into grass at a number of street corners, but over last weekend most of them disappeared.
Australia Post confirmed on Tuesday it intended to continue offering the delivery, and speculated the stakes may have been removed by a resident or residents.
Australia Post said it had been in communication with council about issues concerning the nesting letterboxes including safety.
