Rotorua MP Todd McClay is meeting with representatives of New Zealand Post following their recent announcement to close post offices in Rotorua and Te Puke.

The purpose of the meeting is to seek assurances over the provision of postal and banking services.

'New Zealand Post has announced they will replace the central post offices in Tutanekai Street, Rotorua and Jellicoe Street, Te Puke with ‘store within store' postal services in each town centre,” says Todd.

'The two communities are rightly concerned about these announcements and any loss of service they could experience.

'It is extremely important that New Zealand Post engages with locals and gives an absolute assurance that no service provision will be lost and that local people will not be inconvenienced as a result of a changed business model.

'Kiwibank has also announced that it will close its Te Puke branch permanently. The decision to pull out of Te Puke is extremely disappointing for residents and Kiwibank customers in Te Puke.

'Kiwibank is a bank owned by New Zealanders and operates for the benefit of New Zealanders. If it can't show commitment to a town like Te Puke then it clear that it is not putting the interests of New Zealand first.

'I will be delivering a message of profound disappointment to Kiwibank owners on behalf of locals, and asking them to revisit this decision.”

Kiwibank is 100% owned by NZ Post, ACC and the NZ Superfund. New Zealand Post is 100 per cent owned by the New Zealand Government.