Rural communities are reeling at the prospect of reduced postal services.
Maree Jones
“I am very disappointed to hear they intend to cut back on the service,” said Rural Women New Zealand Waikato president Janet Williams.
“Many people feel isolated as it is, let alone without the connectivity of having mail and other items delivered to them.”
Recently approved by the government, a new deed of understanding reduces the minimum number of days per week for postal delivery.
Urban addresses need only receive mail two days per week, three at rural properties.
As Waikato has an extensive farming community, it is one of the largest areas affected, Williams said.
“People on farms, smallholdings and the like still get a lot of stuff delivered, essential farm and personal supplies,” she said.
“The man who does our rural delivery said he has no idea how he would fit his delivery requirements into three days a week as opposed to the five days he currently covers.”
The deed reduces minimums rather than maximums. However, as it also requires NZ Post to ‘operate a commercially sustainable mail service’ without government funding, the new minimums could become standard.
Williams said people living closer to main centres could more readily access everything they needed, but delivery to rural addresses was often crucial because of the distance as well as the fact that “internet connectivity in those areas is shocking,” she said.
“Not everything can be done via email. Some older people are reluctant to get their bills on their phones or computers, and I know as a JP that there are times you need to have mail with proof of name and address.”
Cutbacks would cut deep in the heart of rural King Country too, Rural Women New Zealand’s Waitanguru chair, Maree Jones, said.
“It’s frustrating as they already charge us more for rural delivery, yet they want to decrease our level of service? It also reduces options for delivery of perishable goods – we’re already finding that a lot of places won’t deliver perishables to our houses.”
Rural internet and cell phone reception can be sketchy at best, Jones said.
“Rural broadband isn’t exactly wonderful as it keeps cutting out and it’s just not as reliable as it is in town. Also, you can’t send parcels over the internet.”
The minimum number of postal outlets is also decreasing, from 880 to 500 and then to 400 over four years. While the number of communal collection points will be increased to offset reduced deliveries, RWNZ’s national president, Sandra Matthews, is concerned further cuts will come.
“Rural communities are made up of hundreds of small businesses. Forcing people to travel long distances to access a post outlet or shared mail hubs creates a significant barrier. This is a particular problem for older and more isolated rural residents, and it makes doing business in rural areas even harder.”
As a State-Owned Enterprise, NZ Post is obligated to act with social responsibility, Matthews said. RWNZ is calling on the government to rethink the move.
“We want a geographic criterion in NZ Post’s Deed of Understanding to protect access in rural and remote areas, a review of NZ Post’s operating model to identify more equitable service options and for NZ Post to be upfront about the post outlets in rural areas it plans on closing.”
Struck with the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the updated deed follows consultation with rural communities, the ministry’s James Hartley said.
“In recognition of their feedback, the government has included a greater number of minimum delivery days compared to urban areas in the deed to ensure rural communities are not disproportionately affected,” he said.
“This includes a safeguard against any rural retail store closures in the first year, unless circumstances are beyond NZ Post’s control.”
Changes are needed, he said.
“Without these changes, the cost of maintaining current services would not be financially sustainable.”
Suzuki Carry of New Zealand Post. Photo: Riley, Creative Commons
