Australia Post has applied to Wagga City Council to extend trading hours of an existing warehouse/distribution centre to allow 24/7 operation to help meet an increased demand for deliveries.
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The existing building in Ball Place, Wagga, is located in an established industrial precinct.
Many suburban post offices in Wagga which use Australia Post would understand why there is a need for extended trading hours to cope with the amount of parcels they are receiving.
Kooringal Post Office licensee Troy Nguyen said an influx of parcels had kept his business afloat as other services he provides are decreasing.
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"During COVID lockdowns there has been a large increase in parcels coming to be sent out for delivery," Mr Nguyen said.
"It's thanks to the parcels that's kept us in business, because our other services have dropped off a little, things like Identity services like passports and people coming in to make bill payments.
"People just don't want to come in.
"It was pretty much the same last year but it's just built up a bit in the past two or three months."
One of many Wagga business owners experiencing delays in receiving supplies and having their goods delivered to customers is John Bailey, owner of Arthur Rubber and Foam, which he described as the Riverina's largest rubber supplier.
"Getting the delivery to people is taking a bit longer, it's more so through Australia Post, but it's understandable, they're quite flooded with demand," he said.
"If I send within the Riverina it's still getting delivered in a reasonable time.
"The main trouble I have is the delay in receiving supplies, as a lot of the raw materials are coming from overseas but they're manufactured here.
"If I order products from Melbourne, Sydney or Queensland, I used to wait three or four days for delivery, now it's taking two weeks, sometimes a month."
Mr Nguyen believes he is experiencing the busiest period since he came to the post office more than five years ago due to people being unable to travel.
"I assume it's gifts, things like boxes of biscuits or birthday presents like scarves and things like that because they can't travel to their relatives and deliver it themselves under COVID travel restrictions," he said.
Mr Nguyen praised his customers for being patient, respectful and courteous.
"All our customers are great because they know we are only trying to help them," Mr Nguyen said."
"I have great staff, they get to know our customers and without them I'd be really struggling."
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