A public meeting planned on the lack of New Zealand Post (NZ Post) delivery services to the Hanley’s Farm area, Queenstown reflects the community's strong sentiments around the ongoing postal service failure in the area, says local Southland MP Joseph Mooney.

"I've been working with resident representatives of Hanley's Farm, the Hanley's Farm Mail Delivery Group, to highlight residents’ concerns with NZ Post's failure to deliver mail there after the group's negotiations with the state-owned enterprise reached a stalemate.

“We have arranged a public meeting on the issue that will take place at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau - Primary School at Hanley's Farm, Queenstown, on Monday, 17 October 2022, at 6pm.

"When I first looked into this matter in 2021, I understood that NZ Post's service delivery decisions were based on accessibility for their vehicles to the area, amongst others.

"It has since transpired that the Government's postal deed of understanding with NZ Post has not kept up to date with residential growth in areas like Hanley's Farm, resulting in residents not receiving the mail delivery service they are entitled to.

"It is part of a trend we are seeing under this Labour Government with government departments failing communities with inadequate and outdated service delivery plans.

"I've written to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises and asked several Parliamentary Written Questions about what the Government intends to do to ensure NZ Post maintains its minimum service obligations to the Hanley's Farm community.

“The Minister’s answers suggest the last time the public were consulted on the outdated postal deed was nearly a decade ago in 2013, so the public meeting will be a great opportunity for residents to make their voices heard and demand the postal services that they are entitled to", Mr Mooney says.

Invitations to the public meeting have been extended to NZ Post, the Minister for State Owned Enterprises, the Minister for Digital Economy and Communications, RCL Group (the developers of Hanley's Farm) and Queenstown-Lakes District Council. 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:  Written Questions Replies 19677 (2022), 19679 (2022), 19680 (2022), 19681 (2022) and 19682 (2022) attached.