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

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.

''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.

''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.

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.''