‘Much more than a postal service’: Residents fight to save Christchurch community hub

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch post shop with a difference is set to close as NZ Post moves to shut more than 140 counters around the country, devastating customers who say it is vital community hub.

Staff and volunteers at Stanmore Book and Post in Linwood had hoped for a reprieve because of its unique model and local support but an appeal by customers, businesses, community organisations and politicians has failed.

A post office has served the area for more than 140 years, with community development organisation Te Whare Roimata taking the business on in 2016 after an earlier fight for survival.

Coordinator Jenny Smith said the trust appointed two part-time staff, supported by a team of volunteers, and learned everything needed to successfully manage the shop.

“There are a lot of isolated people, so this is a place where they come for connection,” she said.

Smith said the closure was a blow for an area that was already under-served.

“It feels like an undermining or a devaluing of the people of this side of town. Many of them are low socio-economic neighbourhoods, but that still means they have a right to access, an increased right to access, because it’s harder to get to some of the services that are very important to them,” she said.

She felt there was inequity in the way remaining post services had been allocated.

“That whole assessment model assumes people are able to easily access these other sites or have got reliable transport to be able to do that and takes no consideration of the terrain or some of the other difficulties, such as a very high number of people with disabilities,” she said.

NZ Post said commercial returns and the social impact of counter closures were important factors in the company’s decision-making.

According to Census data, Central Christchurch and Linwood West are among the city’s most socio-economically deprived areas.

StatsNZ data shows lower incomes, higher unemployment, poorer health outcomes, higher disability rates and lower digital and car access than the city average.

Smith said some people needed help to complete transactions, deal with government agencies, advice on other community resources or companionship.

“Many just drop in to be able to say hello, come and spend a time, have a cuppa with us, take note of the books we provide and a whole range of community information,” she said.

Team leader Janine Carney was a trust social worker when she took on the role.

She was able to link people with help by listening to their stories and building a rapport, combined with her knowledge of the neighbourhood and support services.

“We’re all about this community and within this community there are groups – some are having mental health issues, some are having poverty issues, some are having recidivist crime issues, some are having all of the above,” she said.

“We deal with gang members, we deal with people who are very obviously mentally unwell but we treat all of those people as a human first.”

Carney acknowledged changes in the way people sent and received mail and the steep drop in letters but said there was still big business in packages, with many of the fast-growing suburb’s small business owners and online traders frequent customers.

Postal Workers Union spokesperson John Maynard was also critical of the way NZ Post had handled the process.

“NZ Post is required to exhibit a sense of social responsibility but we’re concerned it does exactly the opposite. They make a decision and then rely on people to have to fight back to keep their resources,” he said.

The union claimed the company had repeatedly approached cuts in the same way and the lack of consultation and communication was eroding public confidence in the postal service.

Local MP Reuben Davidson said the closure would cause a deep sense of loss.

“It’s much more than a postal service. It’s a real connection and a service for that community, to send and receive but also to build community cohesion, which is and should be a real priority,” he said.

Davidson said he had met NZ Post and was not convinced the shop’s multi-faceted role was factored into its decision.

NZ Post spokesperson Sarah Sandoval said all the relevant information was considered and the company had a dual mandate as a state-owned enterprise.

“We absolutely need to deliver a commercial return, that’s absolutely clear,” she said.

“We need to consider the social impact and do no social harm. Obviously, absolutely, that’s part of our decision-making criteria when we’re reviewing these things.”

Sandoval said there were several other outlets in the area, the closest of which was two kilometres away, upstairs at a local mall.

“We have one of the largest retail networks right across the country, larger than any supermarket brand, and really pride ourselves on the services that we deliver,” she said.

“That doesn’t undermine that this decision is a very, very difficult one but we’re absolutely committed to the services and really proud of what we provide for the communities in New Zealand.”

Locals were passionate about the post shop, including long-time P.O. Box-holder Dee Bagozzi who planned to use a competing service once the counter closed, rather than face a drive or deal with infrequent buses.

“It’s a really big environmental issue and all the older people that live around here will be forced to drive,” she said.

“I can’t understand how a public utility can transform itself into a hard-nosed business.”

Noel West, 85, has had a post box in Linwood since he moved to Christchurch 50 years ago.

Since retiring, he said he was more likely to sit and chat with staff, mull the history of the city’s post offices, “chew the fat, put the world to right and disagree at times”.

The alternative sites were “miles out of his way”, and he felt NZ Post would lose a lot of business as a result of the move.

“They’re cutting their own throat,” he said.

Business owner Fono Fili used the shop as her delivery address and to post and pick up orders.

“We’d like to see them stay. It’s very handy, they’re very friendly, the service we receive here is different from the service I’ve received at any other post shop,” she said.

Hilary Talbot, a former volunteer and regular customer, was clear about what Linwood would lose when the doors closed.

“A little bit of its heart.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand