Petition to protect Taieri Rd postbox

Halfway Bush residents Gaynor Earl (left) and Phyl Beagley have organised a petition, which is...
Halfway Bush residents Gaynor Earl (left) and Phyl Beagley have organised a petition, which is being supported by dairy owner Mao Zhou. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Halfway Bush residents Gaynor Earl (86) and Phyl Beagley (85) make unlikely activists but their petition to save a local postbox just might be a success.

They have collected nearly 200 signatures to save the postbox at 465 Taieri Rd, which was slated to be closed on Monday but will stay open, for now.

However New Zealand Post denies it has had a change of heart and says the box still has to go but it does not know when.

People should "assume'' they can still use the postbox, a spokeswoman said, even though it carries a sticker clearly saying NZ Post plans to remove it on Monday.

The same applies to four other postboxes around Dunedin, including another one in Taieri Rd.

They are tagged for removal on Monday but will not not be taken away that day and people can keep using them until an unspecified date.

"They'll be updated with a notice with the final clearance date and time when it's been set,'' a spokeswoman said yesterday, after repeated requests for clarification.

NZ Post would respond to the petition next week.

"We haven't received the petition yet so it's too early to respond,'' the spokeswoman said.

Earlier this week, NZ Post relented to the residents of Abbeyfield independent living facility, who successfully lobbied to keep the Balmacewen Rd postbox outside their facility.

"It's been fun,'' Mrs Earl says of the petition the old friends launched just five days ago.

The pair are grateful for dairy owner Mao Zhou's support.

The postbox is outside Halfway Bush Service Store, where the petition has attracted nearly 140 signatures.

"He's been wonderful,'' Mrs Beagley said.

Mr Zhou said he could not understand why it was being removed, as he frequently saw older people and disabled people using the postbox.

eileen.goodwin@odt.co.nz

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