Fight on for postal services

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 279, 21 March 1989, Page 1

Fight on for postal services

Raetihi business operators are to fight to retain as much as possible of the services handled by their post office, if not the office itself.

Last Wednesday business people met to discuss New Zealand Post's decision to close the Raetihi Post Office on May 19. The meeting was chaired by Raetihi Ward councillor John Compton and attended by more than 30 business people. Information gathered, principally by Four Square proprietor Robert Dowman, was passed on to those who attended. Out of the meeting a committee was set up to investigate the alternatives facing Raetihi, including the possibility of retaining the office. A public meeting will be called also, with representatives of NZ Post and Postbank invited. New Zealand Post is planning to set up a postal delivery centre which seems to mean Raetihi will not suffer in terms of postal services. A PDC would include post boxes. Agency work But people present at the meeting expressed concern at the possible loss of much of the agency work the Post Office handles, along with the Postbank services.

Agency work includes the "ancillary contract and other services on behalf of the Government and private sector" according to New Zealand Post's mission statement. Work for the Public Trust Office, for the justice Department (births, deaths and marriages registration) motor vehicle relicensing and registration and road user charges could all be handled outside Raetihi in future. H.E.Webb's proprietor Colin Webb said at Tnrrt nnofi 2

Raetihi Post office

Frorn page 1 the meeting that motoring type registrations would have to be handled by Ohakune in future unless an agency could take over the work. He said there were only two licensed motor vehicle dealers in the area and both were in Raetihi and that it was crazy to have that agency work taken over by the Ohakune Post Office. At that point in the discussion it was pointed out that there were no guarantees that the Ohakune Post Office was safe and that Bulls, a larger town than Ohakune, was losing its post office. A National Party supporter said Raetihi should work at retaining the post office building and as much of the services as possible "until such time when we get some sanity in Wellington". Trustbank Manager Aubry Dodd pointed out

that they were not dealing with the Government or a Government agency, that NZ Post was acting as a private company. Office purchase Mr Webb suggested the District Council buy the building for use by the Raetihi people. He cited the provision of a house to attract a doctor to the area. Raetihi lawyer Godfrey Harvey asked Post Office manager Lou Brider if she thought an agency could be run by one person from the post office building. She said yes, but with limited hours. Banking services would need at least two people for security reasons, said Mr Dodd. Social welfare Also discussed was payments to social welfare beneficiaries considering the possible loss of Postbank services. Social Welfare repre-

sentative Debbie Rains said it was not necessary for beneficiaries to be paid through Postbank, that payments can be made through any bank. Mr Dodd was asked for an assurance that all beneficiaries would be welcome at Trustbank, to which he replied that Trustbank would look at every applicant on their individual merits. He added that, because Trustbank is a commercial operation like Postbank, individual accounts applications that did not contribute could be declined. He said in terms of Postbank making a profit, the bank would look at the ratio between capital investment and profit to work out if a branch was viable, not just whether the bank broke even. Cheques Debbie Rains was asked what provisions could be made for DSW beneficiaries who did not have bank accounts. She said they could be paid by cheque but that if there were no facilities for paying them in Raetihi they would have to travel to pick up their cheques. DSW had a policy of not sending out cheques, she said. No reasons One of the concerns expressed was New Zealand Post's failure to give reasons for the closure and that no indication has been given that the office was running at a profit or a loss. Rangitikei County Chairman Basil McLean's points regarding the decision were passed on to the meeting. He has concluded that, because the decisions were announced with no consultation with staff, local authorities "or anyone else", that no one knows why the offices are to be closed. His questions for New Zealand Post were supported by the Raetihi meeting. They were: what is NZ Post's criteria for a viable post office?; are office rentals charged by NZ Post worked out on the market rate for individual towns or on a national rate?; why doesn't NZ Post tell local authorities of its concerns over the viability of marginal offices before just announcing their closure?; How can NZ Post shareholders, ie the taxpayer, feel sure that a post office is not viable when the company won't release information on how it decides what is a viable post office?; does NZ Post intend to cut rural mail deliveries from five and six days per week to two and three.

Overwhelming support for annex

From page 1 Army funding Meanwhile, the Army is studying the implications of the possible closure of the annex. ATG Commander Colonel Bestic said recently the Army was looking at a wide variety of alternatives to follow the Wanganui Area Health Board's decision. The alternatives range from total Army funding for the annex to none at all, said Col Bestic. He has said the question is, should the Army be spending money on the annex and the Desert Road emergency services which are the board's responsibility. Listening criticism Wanganui Area Health Board members have said Waiouru people at the recent public meeting did not listen to the board's proposals.

The meeting which was chaired by board chairman Betty Bourke, failed to win support from Waiouru residents for the Board's Waiouru health care proposals. Board member Mary Lourie said it was a shame people didn't listen to the proposal in "the right vein". Member Rache Ward said she was disappointed that people did not listen when "things were explained". Talks between officers at Defence headquarters, the Waiouru action committee and the board will precede the board's final decision, Chairman Bourke said last week. I The Quigley report on Defence, which could see Waiouru grow quickly in the next five or ten years and thus place greater demands on health services, is being taken into account in the decision, Mrs Bourke has said.