Move your letterboxes, NZ Post tells customers

New Zealand Post has asked some of its customers to modify or shift their letterboxes for what it says is safety reasons.

But a lobby group claims it is a cost-cutting exercise.

NZ Post general manager of postal deliveries, Matthew Nant, said it had been encouraging its posties to identify hazardous letterboxes for a number of years.

He said: "It's a little postcard that the postie themselves pops into the letterbox, or if the customer is there they'll have a chat to the person. In our experience 90 per cent will modify or move their letterbox as a result of direct contact from the postie."

Hazards ranged from dogs and hedges to steep, slippery right of ways, Mr Nant said.

Postbusters - made up of residents of Hobsonville and West Harbour in Auckland - claimed today the requirement was a time-saving, money-making scheme.

Group spokesman Jack Lovelock said the group was in touch with the Ministry of Economic Development on the issue and he said NZ Post had an obligation, under their Deed of Understanding with the government, to deliver mail to 99.88 per cent of all delivery points around the country.

"If the modern day postie cannot climb a (slope) where 40-year-olds haul 70kg wheelie bins, then NZ Post has a problem that they need to solve," said Mr Lovelock.

Mr Nant said a postie had identified Mr Lovelock's letterbox as being in a steep, slippery position.

Rather than breaching the Deed of Understanding, NZ Post was offering customers alternative delivery points. In Mr Lovelock's case, they had offered him a post office box service, which he would have to pay for, Mr Nant said.

One or two people a month might be asked to use a post office box, he said.

"Our sole decision criteria is whether getting to the delivery point is a hazard. There are no productivity or time-saving criteria in making those decisions.

- NZPA