Kiwibank seeks to fill space in central Whanganui office with art or plants

Sonia Snowden's weaving featured in the Tiaho Mai exhibition at Paraparaumu's Kiwibank in July. Photo / supplied

When Whanganui's central post shop moved to Trafalgar Square in 2019 it left a lot of empty space in the city's Kiwibank - a space the bank is seeking to fill.

It had a refit earlier this year and the bank is considering filling the empty space with plants or art.

"It's quite a big space for just the one organisation, with lots of walls to display some wonderful art," communications manager Kara Tait said.

The bank has had an approach from possible users of the space already - but those people wanted use of the toilets and that wasn't possible.

In Paraparaumu, Kiwibank has a partnership with Creative Kāpiti's Art for Everyone programme.

The bank hosted its Tiaho Mai exhibition for Matariki last month, the sixth exhibition held there.

Something similar could happen in Whanganui, Tait said.

"If there's a group they could definitely approach us about use of the space."

Kiwibank had been sharing premises with NZ Post.

In Whanganui they were in one of Victoria Ave's main shopping blocks.

When the two separated central Whanganui's postal business moved to Paper Plus in the Trafalgar Square shopping centre in October 2019.

Kiwibank's property team decided to keep the leased building in Victoria Ave.

Kiwibank Whanganui offers a full stand-alone service, Tait said, with a lender and mobile mortgage manager, and it has no plans to leave town.

Its hours reduced recently, to close at 3.30pm rather than 4.30pm from Monday to Friday.

Several banks have reduced their opening hours. For Whanganui's ASB, ANZ and BNZ its still 9am to 4.30pm on weekdays - but The Co-operative Bank opens 10am to 3pm and Westpac opens 9.30am to 3pm.