Borough Bendigo a no-no

THE last bank in the Borough has shut its doors with Bendigo Bank in Queenscliff announcing the closure of their branch.

The bank shut its doors for the last time on November 30, following an operating systems review.

The review looked at transaction activity, visitor numbers and considered the proximity of nearby branches leading to its decision to close.

A statement released by the bank said customers could continue to access face-to-face banking at our Ocean Grove branch, withdraw cash from an Ocean Grove ATM and bank at any Australia Post centre.

Posts on community Facebook pages expressed disappointment. One comment stated, “very disappointing for folks who still require face to face customer service and cannot necessarily travel easily to Ocean Grove”.

Although other commenters were indifferent, with one stating “how many people need to physically go into the bank when so much can be done online. It is simple mathematics and the dollars don’t stack up. Sorry people but that’s the way life is now”.

The bank temporarily shut its doors in September due to COVID related pressures.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank customers for their support and we look forward to continuing to provide them all with their residential, small business, investment and other financial needs from our Ocean Grove bank,” a statement from the bank said.

“Our Queenscliff staff members have been invited to express their interest in other roles and customer service positions across the broader Bendigo Bank network.”