Obligations and rights of postal operators (NZ)

The Postal Services Act 1998 introduced competition to postal services in New Zealand by removing New Zealand Post Limited’s statutory monopoly on the carriage of letters. This means that any company or individual is allowed to carry letters for profit, so long as that company is registered as a Postal Operator by the Secretary of Commerce. The Act only regulates the carriage of letters: there are no restrictions on the carriage of other parcels (e.g. courier packages).

This document is only intended as a guide to the rights and obligations of postal operators. It does not constitute legal advice. Intending postal operators should consult the printed text of the Postal Services Act 1998, available either electronically, or from Bennetts Government Bookshops, and take independent legal advice.