Calculating the Cost of Removing Local Post Shops

Graduate Wins Award Calculating Cost of Closing Linwood Postshop

An engineering graduate from the University of Canterbury won a prestigious national transport award yesterday analysing the environmental transport cost of closing the Linwood PostShop and Kiwibank branch.

Peter Rose won the Best Technical Note (Conference Presentation) at the 2010 Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Transportation Group Conference. The judges praised the highly relevant topic and the technical application to a local community. The award was presented by the IPENZ Transportation Group Chairman, Bruce Conaghan.

Mr Rose’s analysis was undertaken at the request of Mr Brendon Burns MP for Christchurch Central. The analysis showed the social cost of closing the PostShop to the local community was the addition of 3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year resulting from 12,000 more journeys by motor vehicles. Mr Burns was highly complimentary of the analysis. Mr Rose presented his analysis to an audience of professional engineers and industry representatives at the Christchurch Town Hall. Mr Rose said “I’m absolutely stoked, it’s just amazing. I was so nervous I wasn’t too sure how it came off”.

New Zealand Post Group has been closing shops and Kiwibank branches in Christchurch and moving services to other Post Shops or malls. Mr Rose explained the environmental effects of closing local community facilities were often not considered. Linwood households have the lowest uptake of broadband in Christchurch and almost 1 in 5 households do not have access to a car. When shops close, people still need to access those services and they often have to travel further. Where people were walking they now have to ride a bike, take a bus, a taxi or drive.

Kiwibank communications manager Bruce Thomson said in December 2009 there were several reasons why New Zealand Post or franchise owners decided to close branches. “Branches being closed, opened, relocating, being refurbished and franchises being renegotiated – that’s part of modern business”. Mr Rose’s employer, Abley Transportation Consultants Managing Director and IPENZ Governing Board Member Steve Abley said he thought Mr Rose’s technical work was first rate. “Moving, closing, or rationalising facilities has effects other than economic effects and Peter’s work shows that” said Mr Abley.

Mr Abley explained the whole of government thinking was often not joined up. Where one agency was seeking improved environmental outcomes such as the Ministry of Transport, other agencies operating under the State Owned Enterprises Act might favour more economic outcomes at the expense of community outcomes. “Conjoined thinking between organisations enables high levels of efficiency and optimisation of the whole system – not just preferring one objective more than another. It was great the Hon. Nathan Guy MP attended the conference given he is the Minister of Internal Affairs and also Associate Minister of Transport” said Mr Abley.

Mr Rose said he enjoyed presenting at the conference and was glad his contribution had been recognised at the highest level. Mr Abley said he thought Mr Rose had a long and very distinguished career ahead of him and his contribution to New Zealand could be very significant.

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