Community takes action against post shop closure
A GROUP of South Dunedin residents are launching a petition to fight any move to close the community’s New Zealand Post and Kiwibank branch.
At a meeting yesterday organised by Brother Graeme Donaldson, with support from South Dunedin Business Association chairman Craig Waterhouse, a group of about 20 South Dunedin residents voiced their opposition to the closure of the King Edward St bank and post shop.
Concerns raised included the number of elderly and disabled people living in the area who could have trouble travelling to the central Dunedin branch Kiwibank was proposing to open.
‘‘Thousands could be hurt by this,’’ Br Donaldson said.
Mr Waterhouse said more than a third of residents in the area did not own cars, making travel into town difficult.
Shutting the Kiwibank branch would also affect elderly people who lacked internet access for banking and the ability to pay bills online, he said.
However, Mr Waterhouse suggested that if the Kiwibank and NZ Post branches had to close, the services should be incorporated into the South Dunedin Community Hub.
Greater South Dunedin Action Group chairman Ray Macleod said Kiwibank management should remember one of the reasons it was founded 17 years ago was to serve communities.
The wording of the petition was still being finalised last night.
E tu union organiser Mike Kirwood said he was pleased the community was pressuring NZ Post and Kiwibank against closing the branch.
‘‘I was hoping there would be some public backlash.’’
Earlier this month, Kiwibank confirmed it wanted to open a standalone branch in Dunedin’s central business district — and said it was consulting with staff on the future of four existing sites in the city, including the King Edward St branch in South Dunedin shared with NZ Post.
Spokeswomen for NZ Post and Kiwibank confirmed yesterday their consultations with staff were ongoing and they could not provide an update.