New Zealand Post are now using e-bikes (bicycles with an electric motor) to deliver the mail in Stratford.
The e-bikes are made in Timaru and are already used by posties in a number of locations around New Zealand.
Posties in Hawera will be using new red and yellow three-wheeled eco-vehicles for mail and parcel deliveries to households in Hawera.
Changes being introduced this month mean households in Stratford and Hawera will now receive mail on either Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
For example, if you live on Hamlet Street, your mail will be delivered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in any week, while if you live on Pembroke Road, your delivery days will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
"People will still get courier packages overnight and we're committed to delivering at least 95 per cent of mail within three working days, just as we do now. All that's changing is the days we deliver on," says Ashley Smout, chief operating officer, customer service delivery for New Zealand Post. The delivery changes started in larger towns and cities in July and are being rolled out to other towns over the next two years, beginning with the Taranaki region.
Stratford, Waverley and Okato changed on August 3 while Hawera will change on August 10, followed by Eltham, Normanby, Oakura, Opunake, Kaponga, Patea, Waitara, Manaia and Inglewood over the next couple of months. Flyers will be delivered to households in these towns over the next few weeks reminding them about the changes. More information can be found on the New Zealand Post website.
To find out which days your mail will be delivered on, enter your address into the website.