Editing NZ Post (section)

== Regulation ==
The [[Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand|Lange government]]'s [[Postal Services Act 1987]] reduced the monopoly of New Zealand Post to a limit of $1.75 and 500&nbsp;grams. It was gradually reduced to 80 cents in December 1991 until the 1998 legislation took effect.

[[File:Postal deregulation New Zealand.jpg|thumb|right|Since the deregulation of the postal sector, different postal operators can install mail collection boxes in New Zealand's streets.]]
The [[Postal Services Act 1998]], passed by a National-New Zealand First coalition government, repealed the 1987 Act. The new law provides for any person to become a registered postal operator by applying to the [[Ministry of Economic Development (New Zealand)|Ministry of Economic Development]] (now [[Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment]]). Registration as a postal operator is compulsory for letters with postage less than 80 cents. Despite the Act, government regulation of the company still requires it to maintain certain minimum service levels, such as frequency of delivery.

New Zealand Post's exclusive right to be the 'sole operator' under the Act for the purposes of the [[Universal Postal Union]] (UPU) expired on 1 April 2003. For practical purposes, this meant another postal operator could theoretically issue stamps identified simply as 'New Zealand' with UPU membership. At around the same time, New Zealand Post adopted a fern-shaped identifying mark on its postage stamps, to be used on the majority of its future issues.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} As of 2024, New Zealand Post is one of three mail delivery providers in New Zealand to issue stamps, the others being its primary postal competitor [[DX Mail]] and the significantly smaller Whitestone Post.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dunlop |first1=Ryan |title=Oamaru company takes innovative postal service nationwide |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/90803920/oamaru-company-takes-innovative-postal-service-nationwide |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |access-date=12 April 2024}}</ref>

Since 1998, NZ Post has been legally obliged to deliver six days a week. However, in 2013, the company outlined a plan to reduce this to three, in the wake of falling mail volumes.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-Post-to-slash-deliveries/tabid/423/articleID/284768/Default.aspx| work= 3 News NZ| title= NZ Post to halve weekly deliveries| date= 29 January 2013| access-date= 28 January 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130825175157/http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-Post-to-slash-deliveries/tabid/423/articleID/284768/Default.aspx| archive-date= 25 August 2013| url-status= dead| df= dmy-all}}</ref> Prime Minister John Key backed the idea, saying people "genuinely understand that the world is changing".<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-a-world-leader-in-cutting-post-services/tabid/412/articleID/288464/Default.aspx| archive-url= https://archive.today/20130413231756/http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-a-world-leader-in-cutting-post-services/tabid/412/articleID/288464/Default.aspx| url-status= dead| archive-date= 13 April 2013| work= 3 New NZ| title= NZ leads world in postal cuts| date= 28 February 2013}}</ref>

NZ Post is legally obligated to maintain a certain service level under a [[deed]] of understanding it signed with the [[New Zealand Government]] following the post's [[corporatisation]] in 1987. According to the agreement, last amended in 2013, New Zealand Post has to operate at least 880 service points where basic postal services are available, and within this network 240 so-called “Personal Assistance Service Points,” where additional postal services, such as priority or parcel services, are available.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nzpost.co.nz/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/2013-deed-of-amendment-restatement.pdf |title= Deed of Amendment and Restatement between New Zealand Post and the Crown |publisher=New Zealand Post Group |date=12 December 2013 |access-date=4 April 2017 }}</ref> As of 30 June 2016, New Zealand Post maintained 987 service points, 511 which were personal assistance service points. In all, the post operated 882 retail locations in mid-2016.
The standard of signature/non-signature parcel delivery services, varies with their customers sometimes left a mailbox card instructing them to pick up parcels from the nearest NZ Post Depot or if a small address discrepancy/address damage is discovered, the parcel is invariably returned to the sender, usually with no efforts directed toward telephoning, emailing or looking up the recipient in a directory, whist more effort is prioritised into delivering miss-addressed letters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nzpost.co.nz/sites/default/files/uploads/shared/annual%20reports/2016-nz-post-group-full-year-annual-report.pdf |title=New Zealand Post Group Annual Report 2016 |publisher=New Zealand Post Group |date=25 August 2016 |access-date=4 April 2017}}</ref>