Delivery company restarts services to regional Tasmania after resident complaints

Team Global Express has reversed its decision to stop delivering to parts of regional Tasmania. Residents had told the ABC they were forced to spend hours on the road to collect their deliveries from the depot, despite paying for a door-to-door service. The company's executive chair, Christine Holgate, visited Miena in central Tasmania to speak with an affected resident and tell him the deliveries would restart. A delivery company has reinstated services to regional Tasmania, after residents raised complaints with the ABC. In recent months, Team Global Express stopped delivering online orders to Miena, Liawenee, Waddamana, Levendale, Tunnack, Bradys Lake, Bronte Park, Derwent Bridge, Lake St Clair, Maydena and Colebrook. The company cited operational challenges for its drivers as the reason for the decision, including unsafe road conditions in winter. On Thursday, the executive chair of Team Global Express, Christine Holgate, flew to Tasmania to visit Miena resident Michael Walls, who had told the ABC he was not willing to make a four-hour round trip to collect his packages when he had paid for delivery. Mr Walls said the visit was a success. "Ms Holgate confirmed that Team Global Express has reversed their decision to stop delivering to large parts of central Tasmania," he told ABC Northern Tasmania. "Team Global Express will now resume [delivering] to all areas they previously cancelled. "Ms Holgate also said she would like to apologise to their customers for this decision and said it was their local Tasmanian management decision to cancel the service and that it was not known by their national office. "She also acknowledged the decision was not taken due to concerns for driver health and safety, as earlier indicated, but rather a cost-saving exercise." A spokesperson for the company confirmed the reversal. "Christine is very grateful to Michael for raising the matter," they said. "Listening directly with locals and TGE's own people; we realise how important this issue is." The Tasmanian government welcomed the decision, saying it was an example of what could be achieved when regional communities made their voices heard and businesses were prepared to listen. "This is a very welcome outcome for people living and doing business in rural and regional Tasmania," Consumer Affairs Minister Guy Barnett said. "Reliable freight and parcel delivery services are crucial in rural communities, where residents and small businesses may otherwise face hours of travel simply to collect an item they have paid to have delivered. "I thank Team Global Express executive chair Christine Holgate for taking the time to come to Tasmania, listening to the concerns raised on behalf of our regional communities and acting quickly to find a way forward." [Image text:] TEAM GLOBAL EXPRESS