New Zealand postal service changes leave rural communities disappointed
Changes to New Zealand’s postal service has left rural communities disappointed.
OPINION: Town and country find themselves on the same page when it comes to anger over price hikes from NZ Post.
Fed Farmers and others have made a hue and cry about the July 1 hikes of 19% for unaddressed bulk mail and an extra 70c to post a letter.
Constant price hikes by NZ Post have seen their rate rises far outstrip inflation, or any other service or commodity, as our mates at the Magazine Publishers Association point out: "These aren't normal price increases. They are multiples of inflation, compounding year after year, imposed by a monopoly provider with no regulatory oversight of its pricing," says MPA chair Stuart Dick.
As he says, no other essential infrastructure service in NZ operates without independent price scrutiny.
Gas, electricity, broadband all have some level of oversight or controls.
Postal services should too.
Tayla Steele is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at Massey University in Palmerston North.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says no new cases of H5 bird flu have been detected following a case found earlier this week.
Two months after unveiling a major upgrade to its beef product, Halter says its farmers are on track for major production gains and additional grass growth.
New Zealanders are being urged to be alert following a confirmed positive case of H5 bird flu this week.
With a third of NZ dairy farmers still running outdated refrigerants, the country's largest farm refrigeration company says the opportunity for quick, meaningful emissions gains has never been clearer.
OPINION: Farmers are being put on notice by the Green Party.

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