Member for Mallee Anne Webster says the Bendigo Bank is failing its Warracknabeal customers.

The Bendigo Bank Agency located at Warracknabeal accountancy business Dianne Marchment and Associates will close permanently on Wednesday, June 20, 2023, with the bank citing a “detailed review of transaction activity, customer banking habits and the decline in cash usage”.

“Banks in regional towns exist to provide services to their communities. Customers are not numbers and the bank should not remove services only on the basis the numbers don’t add up, regardless of the impact to the community,” Dr Webster said.

“Did Bendigo bank apply the banking taskforce recommendation to consult with local consumers and stakeholders?

“Warracknabeal is a typical regional town with a largely older population, who rely on face to face banking rather than online.”

Dianne Marchment and Associates has committed to maintaining the bank services until the June 20 deadline, and to retain the bank staff as employees in the accounting business.

“I am pleased to hear Dianne Marchment and Associates are ensuring staff are not going to lose jobs over this,” Dr Webster said.

“But it is disappointing Bendigo Bank have made this decision when the Senate Inquiry is happening and Commonwealth Bank and Westpac have halted closures until the end of the inquiry’.”

In the wake of other recent bank closures in Robinvale earlier this year Dr Webster called on the Australian Banking Association to place a moratorium on regional bank closures until they implemented the recommendations of the 2022 Regional Banking Taskforce that they endorsed.

These included to review and strengthen the ABA’s Branch Closure Protocol and implement Branch Closure Impact assessments by the middle of this year as well as a suite of other changes designed to support regional customers.

“Regional customers are losing out as a result of widespread bank closures,” Dr Webster said.

“Regional customers need support and the dignity of banking services instead they are having services ripped away.”

A Senate Inquiry into Regional and Rural Bank Closures is ongoing, with first hearing held in Sale earlier this month.

Dr Webster has asked the committee to hold a hearing in Mallee.

Mallee residents are able to make submissions to the Inquiry until Friday, with the findings to be delivered by December 1.

“Time is running out so I call on the people of Warracknabeal to make their feelings known,” Dr Webster said.

Further information, including how to make a submission, can be found on the Rural and Regional Affairs Committee website here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/BankClosures