Zip codes arrive in NZ

Zip codes to be introduced across NZ
Tuesday May 30, 2006
By Simon O'Rourke

As if recalling phone numbers, passwords, pin numbers and access codes is not enough, a new set of digits is about to be thrown into the mix. New Zealand Post will announce tomorrow a new postal system for delivering to street addresses, introducing 'zip codes' to the country for the first time.

Four digits will help an automated mail sorter to channel personally addressed envelopes to one of 1800 different zones of New Zealand. Within each of those zones, there will be about 10,000 separate mailbox addresses.

In a similar arrangement to telephone STD codes, the first number of the four-digit postal code will identify the general area of a person's address, with 0 signifying Northland to the North Shore and 9 the code for Dunedin, Otago and Southland.

Auckland city addresses will have a postcode that begins with 1, Manukau and East Auckland codes will start with the numeral 2 and Waikato/Bay of Plenty 3.The remaining digits will narrow the focus of where the letter is destined, down to at least the suburb or street level.

NZ Post communications spokesman Richard MacLean said new suburbs and the burgeoning new 'lifestyle' market of apartment and rural living made the system necessary.Mr MacLean said there was no need to worry about not knowing the postcode 'The mail is still going to get through'.

About 1.8 million information sheets will arrive in every mailbox from Thursday, outlining the changes and specifying each address's new postal code.The new system comes with an $80 million price tag. It will revolve around one of six 'state-of-the-art' processing machines in six urban areas.

Mr MacLean confirmed hundreds of jobs throughout New Zealand would be lost as a result, many of them in provincial areas such as Tauranga, Taupo and New Plymouth.

IN THE POST

* 20 per cent of mail sent in the Auckland region is incorrectly addressed.

* There are 18 Beach Rds in Greater Auckland.

* Nationwide there are 60 George Sts and 50 Queen Sts.

* NZ Post processes about 1 billion items a year, and delivers to 1.5 million homes and businesses, plus 198,000 rural addresses and 240,000 private boxes.

* Since 1990, more than 450,000 new addresses have been created in New Zealand.

Sounds remarkably like the post codes we've already got!

Just what I thought! Ours is 2171 - sounds like 4 digits to me :icon_confused:

This has got me totally confused. :icon_confused: Ever since we have moved here we have been using our zip code - 0470. I guess they could be different codes. :-k

Just what I thought! Ours is 2171 - sounds like 4 digits to me ? :-/

According to the write-up, numbers starting with 2 should relate to the Manuakau and East Auckland areas. ?The Waikato numbers should start with 3.

Yours look OK, Glenda, if Kerikeri is classed as being in the Northland.

All should be revealed from Thursday when the flyers go out explaining the new system.

I think it will be a good improvement, imaging having same road names for different places...

Since moving here 16 months ago, our postcode has always been 2001

it has now changed to 3210

Dawn

Yup - ours was 2171, now it's 3793. Now I have to remember to tell everyone I know in the UK :icon_rolleyes:

Yup, mine has changed too. Was 6004, now it's 6037.