Te Puni post branch closure riles locals
By Jamie Melbourne-Hayward
A notice at the Te Puni post branch says they will close within the month. The recently banded Petone Residents? Association is rallying against the closure of the branch and don?t believe the Jackson Street post office is adequate enough to deal with the needs of Te Puni branch customers. ?A lot of people and businesses are going to be inconvenienced by this change not only at Nevis St but also by the impact and effect on traffic and people at Jackson St Post Office. ?People choose to use Nevis St because it?s easy to park and the service turnaround is friendly and fast. ?This is going to put a lot of people out,? says the association spokesperson Tui Lewis. The branch?s free parking and ease of service are sticking points that customers feel can?t be replicated at the Jackson Street branch. Mrs Lewis says Eastbourne residents will be put out because the branch is highly convenient for them travelling home from the city. ?It works very well, you are just in and out, there is nothing like it on Jackson Street,? she says. The association have put two petitions in shops adjacent to the post branch in an attempt to gauge levels of public animosity over the closure. The branch workers are not losing their jobs and will be relocated to the Jackson Street branch, and Mrs Lewis says the move is ?not very forward thinking?. La Bella Italia?s owner Antonio Cacace's has allowed a petition against the branches closure to be placed in his shop in the belief that the closure is an ill fated move for the area?s burgeoning cafe scene. A revive coffee shop has recently opened up down the road from La Bella Italia on Nevis Street. Mr Cacace says a lot of his customers are ?not happy at all? with the decision to close the branch. ?Lots of people come to the [la Bella Italia] after doing their posting, it will affect them and they are not happy because the post office has good service and is very effective will all the PO Boxes there and the free parking. ?I?m happy the petition is here, we have five to six pages signed already,? says Mr Cacace. Head of operations and marketing of NZ Post retail Scott Pollard says the two Petone branches are being amalgamated because of ?increasing demand? for services at the Jackson Street branch. ?Parking remains important to us at this site; there are three 10 minute parks in front of the branch and parking behind the library,? he says. The Te Puni workers have been ?offered redeployment? at the new branch that is set to have 20 enhancements including refurbishing, a new counter, and an additional Kiwi Bank representative. The move is following trends ?that show a growth of Kiwibank,? says Mr Pollard. ?We are not price cutting, there has been a growth in services and more and more people are using the Petone store,? he says. PO boxes and business services will still operate at the Te Puni branch and ?some postal products?.
