Goodbye to more post boxes

A third of the 15 post boxes in Masterton will be culled next week due to a fall in mail volume, according to NZ Post.

More post boxes in the district are set to be removed this week, as "snail mail" continues to decline.

Five Masterton boxes will be culled this week, while a further six boxes in Featherston, Martinborough and Carterton are due to be removed tomorrow.

The post boxes at 85 Fitzherbert Street, Featherston, 86 Naples Street, Martinborough, 14 Victoria St, Carterton, 253 High St North, Carterton, 434 High St, Carterton and 194 Belvedere Rd, Carterton, have been earmarked for removal, leaving Wairarapa with just 15 post boxes in total.

In Masterton, the boxes at 92 Colombo St, 45 Victoria St, 68 Cornwall St, 164 Renall St and 111 Te Ore Ore Rd are being removed.

New Zealand Post business performance and optimisation specialist Lisa McDonald said the boxes were being removed as mail volumes continued to fall.

"This has resulted in a significant drop in the number of letters being posted in post boxes and for many years now we have been monitoring our post boxes and removing those with very low usage.

"When making decisions to remove post boxes, we take into account the proximity of nearby post boxes and post centres.

"In all the cases listed, there is another post box within 350-800m."

New Zealand Post had placed stickers on the boxes in April to advise customers they were being removed.

According to Radio New Zealand, New Zealand Post has removed about 1300, or 30 per cent, of its mail boxes since 2008.