AUCKLAND, Today: The Magazine Publishers Association of New Zealand and PrintNZ are asking the Commerce Commission to take a hard look at postal pricing, saying magazine mail costs have blown well past normal increases.
The two industry bodies have formally requested a market study into postal services pricing under Part 3A of the Commerce Act.
The focus is NZ Post’s Publication Post service, the bulk mail product used by magazine publishers, charities, membership organisations and regular mailers to reach subscribers and members nationwide.
According to the request, the cost of mailing a magazine has risen from 63 cents in 2014 to $3.68+GST from 1 July 2026, depending on weight.
That is a 584% increase over 12 years, compared with cumulative consumer price inflation of around 33% across the same period.In the past five years alone, Publication Post rat es have more than tripled, with annual increases averaging 28%.
“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,” said MPA Chair Stuart Dick.
“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.” – Stuart Dick, MPA Chair
“No other essential infrastructure service in New Zealand operates without independent price scrutiny. Gas, electricity, broadband all have some level of oversight or controls. Postal services should too.”
The submission says New Zealand is now an international outlier. In Australia, Australia Post cannot raise reserved letter service prices without notifying the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
That process includes public consultation and an economic assessment before a decision is made. New Zealand has no equivalent mechanism.
The MPA also points to the amended Postal Deed of Understanding between NZ Post and the Crown, which took effect in September 2025.
While the Deed reduced NZ Post’s minimum service obligations, including fewer delivery days and fewer postal outlets, it did not include pricing provisions.
“The government gave NZ Post flexibility on the cost side to achieve commercial sustainability, but imposed no constraint on the price side.” – Stuart Dick, MPA Chair
“The government gave NZ Post flexibility on the cost side to achieve commercial sustainability, but imposed no constraint on the price side,” says Dick. “The result is a service provider that can increase prices by 25–30% a year to customers who have no alternative.”
The MPA says provincial and rural New Zealand is being hit hardest, with NZ Post’s zonal pricing charging the highest rates in areas with the least delivery competition.
It says magazines, newsletters and membership publications serving rural audiences are being priced out, including titles covering primary industries, conservation and regional issues.
Several titles have already closed or reduced print frequency, with the MPA warning more consolidation is likely without intervention.
The submission asks the Commerce Commission to examine postal competition, NZ Post’s pricing, zonal pricing impacts and whether New Zealand needs an Australian-style price notification regime.
The Commerce Commission has previously conducted market studies into fuel, groceries, building supplies and personal banking.
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