Grey Power November 2018

14
NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » NOVEMBER 2018
Lost post or
last post?
BY KILIAN DE LACY,
Grey Power Federation Board member
Nelson, along with
most other areas
of New Zealand,
has had a great number
of posting boxes/street receivers
removed as part of
NZ Post`s streamlining of
the postal system.
This is the beginning of
the end of post as we know
it. NZ Post claim postal
numbers (letters posted)
are falling and that it is not
financially viable to have
so many post boxes sitting
poorly used throughout
the country.
This from a taxpayer
owned company which
had a half yearly after tax
profit of $6 million for the
six months to 31 Dec 2017,
and which contributed
$2.5 million dollars to the
Government`s coffers (being
a shareholder of NZ
Post) at February 2018.
In the Nelson area,
postal household deliveries
have been cut back to
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, with the central
city PO Boxes still getting
daily deliveries.
If usage is so poor, why
didn’t NZ Post just cut
back on the frequency of
clearing the street receivers
and get the posties to
empty them if there is so
little mail in them, rather
than having paid contractors
do it?
To cut back on giving a
postal system to the public
is surely a way of discouraging
usage of posted
mail, and is following the
lead being set by banks
within New Zealand who
believe that by shutting
branches, customers will
traipse to the nearest town
to carry out business.
However with New
Zealand Post there is no
real alternative.
You will notice that I
avoid the use of the title
postal ‘service’ - as with the
cutbacks being carried out
this would be a misnomer.
There is currently a
survey/inquiry by a government
agency into the
loneliness of the older person.
This cutback surely
will only contribute to this
problem?
Nelson Grey Power
carried out a survey of its
members through its quarterly
magazine in 2017 on
various issues, in which
it was found that only 51
percent of the membership
(of around 7000)
had access to the internet,
69 percent relied on the
telephone as a means of
communication, 28 percent
relied on the postal
system as their main communication
source, and 10
percent stated they did not
get visitors at all.
With a greater aging
population on the horizon;
here in Nelson, the areas
of Stoke and Richmond,
the number of those in the
older age group is growing
rapidly, to the extent
that the Nelson Mayor has
written a letter of support
to NZ Post backing Nelson
Grey Power`s letter
of complaint around the
removal of the street receiver/posting
boxes.
A February 2018 press
release from the then NZ
Post chief executive David
Walsh read:
“Our largest sending
customers are increasingly
moving to online communication
for their own
customers, as this is now
what many of us expect in
a digitised world. This is
evidence that our e-commerce
strategy is the right
one.”
Is this not the talk of
turkeys wishing for a early
Christmas, towards the
expediting of the demise
of NZ Post?
Where is the encour-
agement to increase postal
volumes? Instead we have
increased postage costs
with less ‘service’?
NZ Post has had, and
should continue to have,
a social service side to its
mantra.
After all it is supposed
to be owned by the people
of New Zealand - created
by our forbears for the
good of the country.
NZ Post is a state
owned enterprise responsible
for providing postal
services in New Zealand.
In the current NZ coalition
government, NZ Post
is under the oversight of
the honourable Winston
Peters, Minister for State
Owned Enterprises.
As a state owned enterprise,
New Zealand Post
Limited has two shareholding
Ministers acting
on behalf of the Crown.
The Minister of Finance
and the Minister for State-
Owned Enterprises hold
the company’s shares.
Nelson Grey Power
urges people concerned
about the loss of post boxes
throughout New Zealand
to write to: Winston
Peters, Minister of State
Owned Enterprises and
Grant Robertson, Minister
of Finance; to request that
the Crown dividend be put
towards the return of community
post boxes.
We also encourage
people to request the
Minister of State Owned
Enterprises to undertake
a review of New Zealand
Post’s e-commerce strategy
to ensure that the most
vulnerable people in our
community, the elderly,
are still able to post and
receive letters.
If you can find a postal
box or street receiver,
letters can be sent to the
Ministers at NZ Parliament,
Wellington, FREE
of postal charge.
Letters can also be sent
to NZ Post CEO and Chair
at NZ Post, Private Bag
39990, Wellington Mail
Centre, Lower Hutt 5045.
Emails can be sent to Winston.peters@parliament.
govt.nz and grant.robertson@parliament.govt.
nz and post.communications@nzpost.co.nz
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Board Profile:
Graeme Faulkner
Former police officer
Graeme Faulkner
still has a strong
drive to care for and serve
his community. The active
69 -year-old is a dedicated
Grey Power board member
and is zone representative
for Zone 5, chair
Law & Order Committee,
chair ACC Committee,
committee member legal
and remits and finance
Based in Blenheim,
Graeme became involved
with Grey Power at a local
level ‘some years ago’,
joining the board as he
saw the role as a way to
carry forward the ideals of
the Federation.
He remains passionate
about being part of Grey
Power, largely driven ‘by
the need to look after the
interests of members in
changing times’.
Graeme confirms that
his hometown is ‘the sunniest
place in New Zealand;
ideal for enjoying a
quiet, peaceful lifestyle’.
As well as being a police
officer for 20 years
until early retirement,
Graeme has also been a
business owner; for a retail
business and also a
Graeme Faulkner
freight business.
He was also a lost prevention
office for Ansett
Airlines, moving into being
a practice manager at
a medical centre for the
last decade of his working
life. .
Now retired, Graeme
has plenty to keep his days
full, with his variety of
Grey Power roles.
Occasional spare time
is spent watching sports.
He says the greatest
thing about being retired
is having the freedom to
do what you want to do,
when you want to do it.
However the flip side to
being retired is knowing
that time is running out
- but also knowing not to
worry about it.
If Graeme could turn
the clock back, he would
like to pursue his interest
in agriculture.
Shirley GKG ad with Taj.indd 1
19/10/2017 4:08:01 PM