Sue Shanahan, who owned the Bomaderry Post office with her husband Michael for 21 years, was surprised to learn of a proposal to increase the regular stamp price from 70c to $1.

She said the increases she oversaw while in the post office were much smaller and easier for people to accept.

The federal government has supported a proposal to introduce a two-tiered pricing scheme for letter deliveries expected to drive up stamp prices.

Under the new proposal regular mail will take four days to deliver and priority mail, for which stamps are expected to cost about $1.50, would be delivered on the current timetable.

“I think you have to go with the times,” Mrs Shanahan said.

“Look at the cost of things going up like petrol and power bills.

“It’s the world we live in, this is progress,” she said.

Despite the price increase Mrs Shanahan will continue to write and post letters and cards.

“I used to write to my mother in-law every fortnight, and I always send Christmas and birthday cards to people,” she said.

“It’s something personal, and I can still write, not like a lot of these people who just text.

“Oh, and I’ll never call it snail mail,” she said.

Australia Post does not allow its agents to speak to the media, however one small Shoalhaven post office owner said his customers appeared to be accepting of the proposed changes.

“It’s happened throughout time from carrier pigeons through to telegrams,” he said.

“Most of my customers are pensioners so they would get the concession price anyway,” he said.

Concession stamp prices will be frozen at the 2010 price of 60 cents.

Seasonal greeting or Australian Christmas card stamp prices will be frozen at 65 cents.

Concession and Christmas stamp mail accounts for almost half of all mail sent by consumers.