People power has won beloved Cardigan Village postie Lyn McNeight her job back.
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Last month, after 20 years of service to the Cardigan Village community, Lyn was told her contract would not be renewed.
This prompted an angry response from residents who bombarded Australia Post with complaints and ran a social media campaign to have Lyn reinstated.
That campaign worked. Within days she was notified that her contract would be extended for four weeks from her initial termination date of June 30, then on Tuesday she was summoned to a meeting with Australia Post management and told she would be reinstated for 12 months.
Thanks to Australia Post for hearing our voices, listening to our concerns and caring and most of all, thanks for keeping our postie Lyn.
- Jenny Funstone
"It was a bit of a shock at first, but it's all thanks to the Cardigan Village community that this has happened," Lyn said.
Word of her reinstatement was posted on the tight-knit community's Facebook site on Wednesday and quickly spread throughout town.
Many residents kept an eye out for Lyn on her rounds on Thursday and braved the rain to come out to congratulate her.
"People were saying well done, but her answer to that was 'it wasn't me, it was everyone else'," said resident Jenny Funston.
"She's quite humbled by it but we were just doing what we do. We could not be happier with the outcome and postie Lyn is back on her round doing what she does best, serving our community with a smile and a wave."
A review will be held later in the year whether Lyn's contract will be extended to the regular five-year term.
When news first broke that Lyn's contract was not going to be renewed, locals feared they would lose the trusted and friendly service they had grown to rely on. They said Lyn always delivered their mail and packages with a smile, enjoyed a chat, and put their packages in safe places if they're not home to save them a 20km round trip to the nearest post office for collection.
Ms Funston wrote to Australia Post chief executive Christine Holgate to thank her for reinstating Lyn.
"Thanks to Australia Post for hearing our voices, listening to our concerns and caring and most of all, thanks for keeping our postie Lyn," she wrote.
And in a cheeky addition, she invited Australia Post to film their next television advertisement in Cardigan Village.
"If you need to make another ad for Australia Post for television, we invite you to come to Cardigan Village. We have the real deal postie who does her job well and a community who care," she wrote to Ms Holgate.
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