Businesses and residents around the Western Plains are having to cross their fingers and hope their parcels are delivered.

As the volume of parcel freight breaks new records, the number of official collection points across the region continues to shrink.

Unpredictability is plaguing customers whose parcels are forwarded freight through companies using private couriers who don't have a physical presence in the nearest town.

 After another Coonamble depot shut its doors to forwarded freight last month, the local branch of the Country Women's Association (CWA) has taken the issue by the tail.

Although Coonamble has depots for StarTrack, Orana Couriers and JFT transport, there is no holding space for Midstate Freight, Toll, and Direct Freight.

When couriers have no designated place to leave parcels, the packages are redirected to a Dubbo depot.

"There is direct loss to the local economy in terms of business productivity and opportunity cost of pushing locals to Dubbo for collection," says Coonamble CWA secretary Sharon Single.

On Wednesday 3 December the Coonamble CWA meeting heard six outraged members talk about missing parcels.

Farmer and CWA member Sharon Single said she had lost two already that week.

"I've had things turn up in town at various locations that have sat there for months, because I didn't know it was there," Mrs Single says.

Coonamble-based Castlereagh Industries are contracted to depot for Orana Couriers only, however worker Amanda Nixon said there has been a lot of uncertainty around what couriers are dropping parcels where.

"There's been confusion around parcels for the past couple of months," Ms Nixon said.

Castlereagh Industries in Coonamble is an arm of St Vincent de Paul and acts as depot for Orana Couriers. [IMAGE: Google]

John Forgione Transport (JTF) owner, Kylie Forgione trucks freight from Dubbo to her depots in Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Coonamble every day.

She says she is approached daily by confused Western Plains residents looking for their parcels, wondering which courier has their freight, and where it will be dropped off.

She says the problem has worsened over the past 12 months.

"An issue I'm faced with from time to time is other couriers trying to drop freight off at my depot," Ms Forgione says.

She said due to liability and legality reasons, she cannot hold and deliver other freight companies parcels.

As the Western Plains App made inquiries, it became clear that the freight delivery problem - and customer frustration - is expanding in multiple western districts.

Brewarrina and Warren are among the list of Western Plains towns with few freight depots, increasing redirections and lost parcels.

Brewarrina agribusiness Schute Bell said they get lumped with the freight that cannot be delivered to local addresses.

Aside from the post office, there are no depots in the town, and a worker says dealing with the rest of the town's freight is exhausting.

Brewarrina locals are having to travel an eight hour round trip to Dubbo for their parcel collection if it cannot be delivered.

"Some parcels we've actually picked up in Dubbo at the depot down there which is not satisfactory," Brewarrina CWA secretary Vivian Slack-Smith says.

Local agribusinesses like this one in Brewarrina, bear the brunt of customer confusion and frustration.

Western Plains residents are saying their parcels are not only going undelivered, but also missing.

Ms Slack-Smith says she has lost about six parcels in the past month.

"My husband's been waiting for parcels and they haven't arrived and when he's gone looking last week he found them in caged box at the back of a business in Bre'."

In Warren, a community member says there is a lot of confusion across their town about where courier drop-offs are.

Farmers pull the shortest straw

CWA members say it is farmers and rural business who are pulling the shortest straws.

"This not only affects consumer freight - items unavailable locally, gifts, online shopping, it affects business freight - particularly farming and agribusinesses in terms of important parts and tools for machinery," says Mrs Single.

"Nobody's asking the companies to come out to the properties, but everyone is asking them to go back to paying someone to have a depot in town.

"It's post-harvest; there's a lot of freight moving around for parts and different things."

Local ag supply stores have traditionally acted as a fallback option for rural customers needing a place to pick up their goods.

However, at least one Coonamble business has reported a surge in local residents trying to track down parcels since the Pharmacy depot closed and their staff can spend up to four hours each day dealing with parcels and inquiries.

Without compensation for this service to freight companies' customers, the CWA say it is unfair to local business and their staff.

"It’s incredibly disappointing given these on-forwarders out bid other services such as Australia Post for freight contracts, yet do not invest locally," Mrs Single said.

What are the next steps?

In February this year the Coonamble CWA raised the issue with previous federal MP Mark Coulton to find a solution.

He explained that the issue could not be solved by federal government, as they were only in charge of Australia Post and StarTrack.

Instead, he directed them towards the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Last Thursday, the CWA made their next move, taking on Mr Coulton's advice.

The group have written to Coonamble Shire Council seeking their support in approaching the ACCC.

The CWA says pressure needs to be put on the privately-owned freight companies to hold a permanent depot officially in town.

They will also propose trialling a shared freight depot arrangement with the private couriers, including a negotiated fee-for-service.

But for now, communities across the region are having keep their fingers crossed and put up with the hunt for their packages.