The boss of New Zealand Post is promising to prioritise communication and engagement after the Government sent the state-owned enterprise a telling-off.

Minister for State Owned Enterprises Simeon Brown sent a strongly-worded letter to NZ Post chair Dame Paula Rebstock over how the business announced plans to pull services from certain stores.

Brown wrote to the NZ Post chair in March, saying the Government was “disappointed that the communications were not as proactive as they should have been”.

NZ Post announced plans to remove services from 142 stores in late January, although this was revised down by 10 to 132 stores in late March.

In the letter, released to Newstalk ZB under the Official Information Act, Brown wrote that “ministers expect better engagement from NZ Post”.

The minister also called for improvements: “ln the future, please ensure engagement with stakeholders and the public on all changes NZ Post implements are appropriate, proactive and, at a minimum, align with the engagement requirements outlined in the revised Deed [of Understanding]”.

NZ Post chief executive Dave Walsh said open communication and engagement is, and remains, a “priority” for the business.

“We acknowledge Ministers’ feedback and will continue to prioritise clear, proactive engagement with communities should we consider any future network changes.”

Walsh said NZ Post’s focus was sustaining a “strong commercial performance.”

The Government letter also talked about “optimising investments” and “ensuring a strong customer focus”.

Brown wrote it was an expectation for NZ Post to keep “optimising its operations to enhance overall profitability and performance.”

He said there were expectations for the business not to undertake any significant new spending until those benefits could be realised.

Walsh said NZ Post has taken the time to look at all of the feedback it had received on the changes to its retail offerings and said it confirmed final decisions that “are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of postal services”.

“We are now working closely with impacted stores as we work through next steps, including ensuring local communities have plenty of information available about nearby locations and other options available.”

Brown’s letter followed prior correspondence in March 2025 which outlined expectations for NZ Post.

The letter of expectations, which was proactively released by Treasury, outlined the importance of improving performance in a “tight fiscal environment”.

At the time, Brown wrote ministers were “disappointed and concerned” by NZ Post’s “failure to make progress on improving its performance”.

Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.