Porcupine Ridge, AUSTRALIA

Australia Post is a government owned company that distributes letters and parcels all over the country. People send fewer letters these days so to remain profitable, post offices sells all sorts of things: books, chocolate, teddy bears, travel insurance, etc. Mail is no longer delivered 5 days a week. In cities, three deliveries are free and if people want more, they can pay. Australia Post no longer directly employs delivery staff. Contractors compete for delivery routes and the cheapest offer wins. People complain that service is not what it used to be. The government hopes to privatize Australia Post soon and is reducing costs to make it attractive to investors.