As of yesterday Lithgow district residents can no longer apply for copies of birth, death or marriage certificates at their local Post Office.

It’s one more service that has been forced on line, a move that is certain to cause wide inconvenience.

Australia Post issued the advice to the general public by way of notices in business mail.

The vital service was removed from local Court Houses more than two years ago and

was added to the workload for post office staff.

Now in a total reversals Australia Post has advised that applications for birth, death or marriage certificates will no longer be accepted in person.

Instead applicants will have to go on line and access the NSW births.

Deaths, marriages website.

It is a process that will create concern and confusion for anyone who is not internet savvy — particularly the elderly.

“This is just another step towards a no contact, anti social society,” said a resident who drew the Mercury’s attention to the change.

“It’s all lost in cyberspace.”

The removal of the service will impact on large numbers of people, particularly those requiring a birth certificate for a wide variety of reasons — passport and licence applications, financial transactions and general identification.

The public is now justified in asking ‘what’s next’.

The website is www.bdm.nsw.gov.au.

The BDM inquiry line is 13 77 88.