Government agrees NZ Post can close every postshop

Stuff reports:

New Zealand Post won’t be allowed to reduce the number of outlets that provide postal services from the current total of 880, Communications Minister Clare Curran has signalled.

However, that would not necessarily rule out NZ Post closing more of its dedicated post shops – which have often doubled as Kiwibank branches – in favour of outsourcing its retail operations to agents such as bookshops, dairies and petrol stations.

So in fact the Government has agreed that NZ Post doesn’t have to keep any dedicated post shops open.

Personally I’m all in favour of that. If post shops are uneconomic, then they should close. But Labour supporters might be less keen on mass closures.

NZ Post general manager of channels Janet Selwood couldn’t forecast whether NZ Post would still operate any post shops of its own in five years.

“I couldn’t say in a five-year timeframe whether that is likely to be the case. All I can say is that the agency model – the hosted model – works well for us,” she said.

I suspect only the busiest ones will remain in five years. There’s 95 today so maybe 20 then?

She told a select committee she had written to fellow ministers in her capacity as Dunedin South’s MP to express concern about Kiwibank closures in the city impacting NZ Post.

So as an MP she complains about the closures yet as a Minister she will sign a document allowing them. Hilarious.