Stickers were placed on the post boxes in late April, advising customers of NZ Post's intention to remove them.
"When making a decision to remove a post box we also take into account the proximity of nearby post boxes and post centres," she said. "We are mindful of the needs of, for example, retirement villages."
A box inside the Wairarapa Masonic Village was removed on Tuesday, said village manager Irene Bull. She said the key for the box had been lost for a while and she was told this was the reason for the removal.
Mrs Bull was unaware some of the boxes in Masterton were going to be taken away and was relieved to hear the one on Upper Plain Rd would be staying put. "It's good that one is going to stay."
She said the box was in walking distance and most of the elderly residents would be able to do a "loop walk" to the box to post a letter.
"They're probably taking boxes away that aren't used as much, but the more they cut down the less people will use them," she said.
Krinjal Valand from the Renall St Store said lots of people used the post box outside the shop, which will no longer be there this time next week.
A dairy worker from East Side Superstore on Colombo Rd said some of their customers would be affected by the removal of the box outside the store.
She said older people who had been coming into the dairy were concerned they would "have to go a long way" to post a letter.
"In the summertime it's fine but it's in the wintertime it will be hard for them."
A Radio New Zealand report yesterday said NZ Post had removed about 1300, or 30 per cent, of its mail boxes since 2008.
