The Government is proposing changing the deed of understanding it has with NZ Post to only require post to be delivered a minimum two days a week in urban areas and three days a week in rural areas.
The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment said the deed was last reviewed in 2013. It had been scheduled for review in 2018 but that was extended to 2024.
The ministry said, since the last review, New Zealand's digital connectivity had significantly improved. In 2002, about a billion mail items went through NZ Post in a year. In the last financial year, that was 187 million and it is expected to drop to 107 million by 2028.
The ministry is currently seeking submissions as part of a consultation process.
"The proposed changes ...are intended to allow NZ Post sufficient flexibility to achieve commercial sustainability while still responding to New Zealanders' ongoing need for mail.
"Given ongoing decline in the use of the mail service and the years since the last deed review, it is time to consider whether changes should be made to the deed to reflect New Zealanders' declining use of the mail network. Changes also need to be considered to allow the mail service to continue in a commercially sustainable way."
At present NZ Post is required to deliver mail three days a week in urban areas and a minimum of five days a week in rural areas.
The ministry said the changes to the deed would not automatically mean a reduction in service because NZ Post would still be able to make operational decisions.
Other countries had undertaken similar reviews and reduced obligations, it said. Denmark no longer has a national postal provider.
MBIE said NZ Post had stopped delivering on Saturdays in June and had not delivered on Saturday in rural areas for eight years.
Reduction in outlets also proposed
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The proposal would also reduce the obligation to have at least 880 "points of presence" for NZ Post, of which are 240 manned outlets, to 500 initially with a possible step down to 400 over time.
MBIE said most of the current 880 service counters were inside other retail shops.
The reduced requirement would reflect the cost to NZ Post of maintaining a network of postal outlets - "we understand it currently overserves certain urban areas to reach this requirement".
The 880 minimum has not been changed since it was set in 1989.
"NZ Post has said that any change, if made as a result of a new minimum number, will not disproportionately impact rural areas compared to urban areas.
"We note rural customers can also access mail services directly from the rural delivery driver in their area. Changes would also not be implemented immediately following deed changes or without appropriate notice"
Earlier this year, NZ Post confirmed plans to have parcels and mail delivered by the same person, rather than a separate postie and courier driver, as part of wider changes that would reduce staffing by 750 roles over five years.
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⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Who’s the Smarty-Pants in the Neighbourhood? Let’s Find Out!
I’m not alive, yet I grow with care.
I wear ornaments, lights, and sometimes a star to bear.
My evergreen presence fills the air, bringing joy to the hearts of those who prepare.
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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60.8% Summer
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37.2% Winter
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2% Other - I'll share below
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