Anger as reopening of Dannevirke PostShop is delayed

Frustrated: Dannevirke's Dave Pawson, left and Derek Webster were trying to send parcels though New Zealand Post's PostShop on High St yesterday afternoon. Reporter: Christine McKay

There was frustration, anger and panic outside Dannevirke's PostShop on Tuesday morning as people queued to pay their bills.

Despite notice from New Zealand Post that the PostShop would be open on Monday, then Tuesday, the doors were still locked.

"I wanted to pay a electricity bill due on Friday and haven't been able to, so now my rebate is lost," one angry Dannevirke woman said.

Shirley Morgans also went to pay a power bill on behalf of an elderly resident and discovered four elderly women standing outside the High St PostShop upset it hadn't opened.

"It's pension day and they were worrying how they were going to pay their power accounts," she said.

The PostShop closed last Thursday when Foster Brook, owned by Paul and Trina Brook, was placed in liquidation.

The uncertainty was causing problems for Dave Pawson of Dave's Den who wanted to send models he'd sold online to their respective purchasers.

"It's sad when this sort of thing happens to a business and it looks like I'll have to email the purchasers again and tell them I haven't been able to post their parcels," he said.

And when a trio from Waipukurau pulled up outside Foster Brook they were shocked to discover the business closed.

However, a New Zealand Post spokesperson has told the Dannevirke News they expect the PostShop to reopen "at some stage tomorrow".

"We would like to sincerely apologise for the unforeseen delay in the reopening of the PostShop but once open services will include over-the-counter banking transactions, bill pay and postal. The box lobby will remain in its current location," Amanda Broatch, senior adviser of media communications for New Zealand Post Group, said.