Elaine and Jim Briggs from Cambewarra have been in their home for 40 years and said they remember when there was no delivery system and they would pick up the mail from the post office, just down the street.

“My husband still goes to the letterbox every morning to check for mail,” Mrs Briggs said.

“It was, and still is, a social thing for people to do. Whether you stop and say hello to your neighbours in your dressing gown or talk with the postman.

“I feel like we’re losing that, especially in the country areas and it will make people, especially older people, feel lonely and isolated.”

Mr Briggs said for some fetching the mail would break up a person’s day.

“Going to the post office to speak to someone can often be a way to get a little company,” he said.

“I think it’s a problem they are getting rid of more staff in post offices as well and it can be very difficult to find someone who can help you if you don’t know how to use the machines.

“If we lose the smaller, friendly post offices it will be a shame. That’s the worst part – losing the friendly people who spend the time to look after you.

“Years ago we didn’t have email and all the technology we do today. Some people and businesses didn’t even have a phone so the post was the only way to communicate.”

Mrs Briggs said they were now on Skype to stay in contact with their family across the countryside, but she knew people who couldn’t operate a computer.

“We’re losing the art of handwriting. Even those who write just print these days,” she said.

“We don’t send a lot of letters anymore, but we do send cards on special occasions and that will just get too expensive with stamp prices increasing.”

Regular mail will take an extra day to arrive and basic stamps will cost up to $1 under a two-tiered pricing system expected to be announced within weeks by the Abbott government.

The government's reform package is designed to help arrest the falling financial performance of Australia Post, which announced a 56 per cent drop in half-yearly profit.

Mrs Briggs said while that was the case Australia Post still recorded a first-half profit of $98 million.

“They are saying that we all want something for nothing, but there are services that we’ve always had that we should keep going,” she said.

“The profits may be down 56 per cent but they still made $96 million in the last year. They are in the black, still making money.

“They need to stop thinking about the dollars and think about how important it is to look after people and their communication needs.

“One of my friends has an extensive network of friends overseas. I think she will really notice the price increase of stamps to keep in contact with them.”

Mrs Briggs said she was concerned extra delays to delivery would mean late payments on bills.

“We find letters already take three days to get to us from town,” she said. 

“It’s very slow.

“We’re worried it will now take double that time. Already we have very little time to pay bills by the time they get here and it could mean we may end up being late in some payments.”

Mr Briggs remembered when he was manager of Fossey’s in Junction Street, Nowra.

“There used to be two postal services a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon,” he said.

“They would deliver around town on foot and then on push-bikes.

“In Cambewarra I remember them starting to deliver in the ’70s and they were on push-bikes as well. I think we started to lose the relationship with the postman when they had to wear helmets on motorcycles and we couldn’t recognise them anymore.”