Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

When will Te Puke's postal services be back up and running?

By Stuart Whitaker
Bay of Plenty Times·
20 Apr, 2020 10:42 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Te Puke Centre Charitable Trust trustee Nicola Cook, left, and chairwoman Karen Summerhays.
Te Puke Centre Charitable Trust trustee Nicola Cook, left, and chairwoman Karen Summerhays.

Te Puke Centre Charitable Trust trustee Nicola Cook, left, and chairwoman Karen Summerhays.

The providers of postal services in Te Puke are facing more questions than answers.

New Zealand Post's counter services were closed as part of the alert level 4 lockdown, and it is still unclear whether Te Puke's Post Office will be allowed to open under alert level 3.

Te Puke's counter service is provided by Te Puke Centre Ltd, the commercial arm of the Te Puke Centre Trust, with income from the postal services helping in the establishment and running of an information and visitor centre.

Chairwoman Karen Summerhays says the possibility of reopening counter services has raised a number of questions about demand, safety for staff and customers and other practical considerations.

She says with rules eased under alert level 3 next week, and more retailers likely to be operating with delivery or click and collect options, then there could be an increase in the need for postal services, particularly to send parcels.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''Will they need us? We don't really know,'' she says.

Te Puke's counter services are unusual in that they are standalone - most Post Shops are part of other businesses - which might also be a factor. Post shops in pharmacies, for example, were closed under level 4.

''Maybe because we are a standalone postal service, it would be easier for us to open,'' says Karen.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''But we've got to consider how we do that - we've got a very small staff. We are not talking about people sending off a letter or card, but it is about servicing the business sector.''

Karen says staff could work in two independent teams as a safety measure.

''But we really need to know if the demand is there.''

In February the trust launched a campaign aimed at raising funds for the next phase of the project.

Discover more

Dawn opening for social enterprise

02 Oct 10:00 PM

Campaign seeks support for centre

05 Feb 04:00 AM

Karen says the overall project is in a holding pattern and while it is important to get revenue coming in through the postal services, ''at the same time we don't want to do that and risk staff and customers unnecessarily''.

''I think there are a lot of people who are still reliant and who are still a bit stressed about being in arrears or not able to pay their bills.''

Many of them are older people who are either unable or unwilling to pay bills online - which was one of the reasons the trust took over postal services.

''But [if we do open] then it's about keeping those older people safe if they do come to the post office.''

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Next pulse of rain approaching Akl, severe thunderstorm watch remains in force

Premium
Bay of Plenty Times

Sunair still grounded but says progress being made

Bay of Plenty Times

Thunderstorm watch issued, residents urged to leave some flood-prone areas


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Black Caps suffer injury blow with Latham out on eve of first test
Black Caps

Black Caps suffer injury blow with Latham out on eve of first test

Never lost: The Black Caps aim to retain near perfect test record
Black Caps

Never lost: The Black Caps aim to retain near perfect test record

Watch: 'People started to panic' - Auckland supermarket evacuated after sign catches fire
Auckland

Watch: 'People started to panic' - Auckland supermarket evacuated after sign catches fire

Netball NZ non-committal on player pay cuts with new broadcast deal
Silver Ferns

Netball NZ non-committal on player pay cuts with new broadcast deal

What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike
New Zealand

What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike

'Deep sadness': New Plymouth videographer dies after assault outside rugby club
New Zealand

'Deep sadness': New Plymouth videographer dies after assault outside rugby club



Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Next pulse of rain approaching Akl, severe thunderstorm watch remains in force
Bay of Plenty Times

Next pulse of rain approaching Akl, severe thunderstorm watch remains in force

Driving conditions will be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility.

29 Jul 08:04 AM
Premium
Premium
Sunair still grounded but says progress being made
Bay of Plenty Times

Sunair still grounded but says progress being made

29 Jul 04:00 AM
Thunderstorm watch issued, residents urged to leave some flood-prone areas
Bay of Plenty Times

Thunderstorm watch issued, residents urged to leave some flood-prone areas

29 Jul 02:01 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search