Media release
For immediate release
23 October 2013

Rural Women NZ delighted rural delivery service uncompromised

Rural Women New Zealand applauds today's announcement that the special significance of the rural delivery service has been recognised in the New Zealand Post 2013 Deed of Understanding.

Under the updated deed, urban areas may see a reduction to a three day mail service from 1 July 2015, but the five day a week rural delivery service will remain unchanged, except on runs that already have a lower frequency.

"In our submission, which Minister Amy Adams has acknowledged, we highlighted that the rural delivery is so much more than just a mail service and anything that threatened its sustainability would have widespread unintended consequences," says Rural Women national president, Liz Evans.

"It is a wraparound distribution service that is part of the fabric that holds rural communities together.

"Our rural delivery contractors provide a lifeline, delivering supplies, repairs and spare parts, animal health remedies, medicines and courier parcels.

"The five day service ensures people are able to run their farming enterprises and other rural businesses effectively, even from remote locations."

Rural delivery contractors also pick up mail and parcels, meaning that it's feasible to run a production-based business from a rural location. These businesses breathe life into rural communities, as we have seen through our Enterprising Rural Women Awards.

Rural Women NZ's plea to preserve the existing rural delivery service was also based on the limitations of other communications facilities, that urban people take for granted.

"In many rural areas there is limited or no cellphone coverage and we are still dealing with dial-up broadband connections in many cases."

ENDS

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