Tuesday, 19 May 2026 11:18

A Hue and Cry

Written by The Hound

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OPINION: Town and country find themselves on the same page when it comes to anger over price hikes from NZ Post.

Fed Farmers and others have made a hue and cry about the July 1 hikes of 19% for unaddressed bulk mail and an extra 70c to post a letter.

Constant price hikes by NZ Post have seen their rate rises far outstrip inflation, or any other service or commodity, as our mates at the Magazine Publishers Association point out: "These aren't normal price increases. They are multiples of inflation, compounding year after year, imposed by a monopoly provider with no regulatory oversight of its pricing," says MPA chair Stuart Dick.

As he says, no other essential infrastructure service in NZ operates without independent price scrutiny.

Gas, electricity, broadband all have some level of oversight or controls.

Postal services should too.

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