Post office moved to clear corner

Post office moved to clear corner
MICHELLE TAN-JACKSON
Last updated 05:00 31/03/2011


The historic Uruti post office has a new address – 50 metres from its old site.

The building, which opened in 1894 and shut in 1988, has been moved from its spot next to State Highway 3 to allow the New Zealand Transport Agency to realign the corner at the southern entrance to Uruti.

It now resides at its owners Bob and Carolyne Murray's property at 6 Uruti Rd.

"The post office was included in the package when we bought our house. Although the land that the post office was sitting on belonged to NZTA, we still owned the post office and had to move it eventually," Mrs Murray said.

Independent House Removals last month took about six hours to shift the 40-square metre native timber construction, at a cost of $4000.

Mrs Murray said feedback about plans to use the old post office as an arts and crafts studio had been positive. "We've had several offers of people wanting to buy it. I didn't consider any of them as I wanted the Uruti post office to stay in Uruti.

"It's a historic icon, where there are none around now other than the church. The community are very happy that it's staying in the area."

Mrs Murray said the relocation of the post office would mean it could be better preserved while changes to the road would "save a lot of lives".

"There have been accidents at that corner since we've first moved here," she said.

Property Group senior consultant Andrew Hopkirk, who helped buy the site for NZTA, said it was hard to see other cars at the Uruti corner.

"We have to realign SH3 so there's a better sight distance for people going around the corner into Uruti."

The $90,000 work on the road will begin at the end of April. Michelle Tan-Jackson is a Witt journalism student
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- Taranaki Daily News