The Dunedin Mayor who does not care: Dave Cull backs NZ Post management against his own city

We've come across the first Dunedin person to say they don't want the Dunedin Metro Postshop and Kiwibank to stay open.

It's the Mayor of Dunedin, Dave Cull.

Dunedin mayor Dave Cull has replied to emails from concerned citizens saying the Dunedin City Council has not discussed the closure – which is a concern in itself.

But even more concerning is the fact that the Mayor says he personally "understands" the decision by New Zealand Post.

"First as NZ Post is a commercial operation I must regard decisions it makes as just that: commercial decisions," writes the Mayor.

Despite over 2000 local people, including many business owners and organizations, signing a petition to keep this vital facility open, Dave Cull backs the head office managers rather than the Dunedin people and businesses who pay his salary through their rates.

Says the Mayor in his email: "The place rarely has more than a handful of customers. I put this down to two factors: fewer people in the area requiring Postal services and more mail and transactions being done on the internet. Simply the business appears not to be there."

"I understand NZPost's published rationale for their proposal. As such I could not in good faith publically criticize NZPost for its decision."

Save Dunedin Metro Post Shop and Kiwibank campaign spokesperson Victor Billot says the Mayor is out of touch with local people.

"The Mayor does not realize the importance of Dunedin Metro to local businesses who are regenerating the Exchange area, or the nearby hotels who will host visitors to the city later this year."

"He does not realize its importance for ease of access and convenience for the retired, the infirm, beneficiaries and parents, to whom crowded and hard to access Post offices elsewhere are not an option."

Mr Billot says it is incomprehensible that a city leadership that invests millions in economic development to attract new business, will simply allow basic services to be ripped out without a murmur of dissent.

Not all local representatives have such a casual attitude as the Mayor. City Councillors MacTavish, Weatherall, Collins and Butcher have expressed their support for the campaign.

Dunedin North MP Pete Hodgson is contacting NZ Post management on behalf of the campaign, and local list MPs Michael Woodhouse and Metiria Turei have also responded in a positive and constructive way.

We challenge the Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull to put this issue on the agenda for the City Council and to revise his attitude.

We suggest if you are concerned about the Mayor refusing to support local business and local people's concerns, contact him on:
Email: dcull@dcc.govt.nz
Telephone (DCC): 03 477 4000
Postal: PO Box 5045, Moray Place, Dunedin 9058