More than 700 jobs at NZ Post are on the line as the postal company plans to make cuts due to declines in mail use.

NZ Post chief executive David Walsh said New Zealanders have drastically changed the way they choose to communicate.

”Our business is evolving as New Zealanders are increasingly communicating online, and NZ Post has responded to this by making a number of changes over the last decade. We are working to find the most efficient and cost effective way to deliver the lower volume of mail for our customers,” said Walsh.

NZ Post will soon begin consultation on which employees’ jobs will be lost over a five-year period. The company said about 750 roles will be lost.

NZ Post has 4500 employees.

“We will soon begin consultation with a view to reducing the number of roles involved in mail as a response to continuing mail decline. This change will not happen overnight. This will be an adjustment that we will make gradually over the next five years. Our focus will be on our people and supporting them with this transition,” Walsh said.

This comes after the company already announced reduced mail delivery operations, consolidating delivery branches and processing sites and increasing the price of mail services.

“The way we deliver mail in five years will look very different and we know our future workforce won’t be the same size and shape as it is today. While we evolve, we will need to continue our ongoing operational changes, continue to reduce costs and ensure we are setting the right price for the mail service to be sustainable,” he said.