New Zealand Post will increase prices for its ParcelPost service by 5-11% from 1 March 2012onwards due to increasing costs of providing parcel delivery services.
During the four years since the last across-the-board ParcelPost postage rate increase, CPIinflation has increased by 11%, NZ Post explained. Along with many other costs, fuel costs inparticular have considerably increased since 2008 with petrol prices rising more than 16%.
New Zealand’s postal operator stressed that it is committed to maintaining parcel postage ratesat the low end of the market. “Even with this adjustment that will still be the case,” the companysaid.
There will be an additional charge of $2.80 (€1.77) for tracked parcels destined for RuralDelivery addresses also taking effect from 1 March to help cover the high costs of the RuralDelivery Network. The additional charge will not apply to untracked parcels and to tracked parcelsbeing sent from a Rural Delivery address to a non-Rural Delivery address.
New Zealand Post’s Rural Delivery network involves more than 600 owner-drivers who reachapproximately 220,000 locations around the country, covering 96,000kms per day. “It is important tohave realistic pricing structures to ensure this network is sustainable,” the companyemphasised.
“There will be no increase for postage included bags which are currently used by just over halfof our parcel-sending customers. There will be no increase for Commercial customers on ParcelPostcontracts either,” NZ Post pointed out.
“It is regrettable that the changes to the ParcelPost postage rates and additional charge fortracked items destined for Rural Delivery addresses have had to be made, however these increasesare required to ensure New Zealand Post maintains a sustainable delivery network,” the companyconcluded.
NZ Post’s ParcelPost product is an affordable way to send small parcels to a street, rural, NewZealand Post PO Box or private address within the country.
