New Zealand Post will maintain six-day delivery service for “most” rural customers
New Zealand Post has announced that it will maintain a six day delivery service to “most” of its rural customers. In an official statement issued on Thursday (1o September), New Zealand Post noted: “Falling mail volumes led to changes being made to New Zealand Post’s Deed of Understanding with the Government in 2013, allowing rural deliveries to be reduced from six to five days a week.”
However, the statement continued, the Head of Provincial Contract Management for New Zealand Post, Stu Kane, had decided “after a close look at services”, that “only a small proportion of rural delivery runs will be reduced to five days”.
Kane explained the rationale: “Changes to the Deed give us the flexibility to go to five day a week delivery, but by working hard to bring a wider mix of products into the network, including newspapers, we’ve been able to maintain a six day a week service to the vast majority of rural customers for now.”
According to New Zealand Post’s calculations, after November, about 6% of customers will move to five day delivery (Monday – Friday) in some rural areas near Auckland, Wellington, Whanganui, Rotorua, Havelock, Oamaru, Dunedin and Invercargill. A flyer will be delivered to affected rural customers before the change takes place.
“About 10% of customers are already on a five day a week service, and have been for many years,” added Kane. “This means that even after November, more than 80% of rural customers will remain on six day delivery.”
New Zealand Post said that it was talking to its rural delivery contractors about the changes.
“Our goal is to maintain the best possible service that is commercially viable to our rural communities,” added Kane.
