New Zealand Post announced yesterday Queenstown's lost mail
will be delivered on Sunday - along with an apology.
More than 17,000 unopened items of mail have been handed over
by Queenstown Police to New Zealand Post and will be
delivered by a crew of 10 posties to residents in Fernhill,
Arrowtown and Lake Hayes Estate on Sunday.
Along with the mail, posties will also hand-deliver a letter
of apology from the company's general manager, Toby
Beaglehole.
Tens of thousands of items of mail addressed to properties in
the three areas were allegedly stolen by a postie.
The mail was then allegedly stored by the postie for as long
as two years.
The 32-year-old woman, who has name suppression, was arrested
and charged with theft by a person in a special relationship.
Queenstown police had earlier this month found more than
17,000 items of mail stored in her home in Frankton and also
in a storage unit in Arrowtown.
The postie will appear in the Queenstown District Court on
Monday facing a maximum jail term of seven years.
Police may still lay more charges connected with opened mail
they have found.
On Sunday, New Zealand Post will operate "special postal
runs", which will involve two vans and 10 uniformed postal
workers delivering the mail door-to door.
Occupants not at home when the postie calls will not receive
their mail that day - they will have to arrange an alternate
time for delivery or pick-up.
For those who have moved, their mail will be returned to New
Zealand Post Queenstown office.
New Zealand Post could not provide a cost for the total
delivery yesterday.
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