New home on the horizon for Community Bank Bellarine

COMMUNITY Bank Bellarine has secured its future in Portarlington with the purchase of a new commercial property.

The new site will be located within the Qudos Portarlington development in Newcombe Street, a mixed-use project featuring about 60 apartments and seven ground-floor commercial properties.

The bank, which has operated from a leased building in the township for more than two decades, will relocate once construction on the new site is complete. It is expected to take three years.

The announcement was first made to several key stakeholders by chairperson Kerry Trewin earlier this month, at an event celebrating the launch of a new book chronicling the organisation’s first 25 years.

She said the purchase should give locals, newcomers to the region and future grant recipients confidence that the bank is here to stay.

“Come along, open up a transaction account — keep the money coming in so we can help everyone,” she said.

With the purchase of the property, the two-branch franchise will now own both its sites, after construction on its purpose-built Drysdale branch in Murradoc Road wrapped up in 2021.

Manager of community engagement Chris Niven said the bank’s remarkable growth over the past 25 years, and the support it receives from the community, had enabled it to take this step.

“Your town, your bank,” he said. “It’s got to be mutual support, working together.” The $460 million business now supports about 8,000 customers.

The new branch will receive a modern fit-out, while ownership is expected to reduce costs and enhance the bank’s ability to reinvest in the community.

“It’s a brand-new building in an amazing complex. It should be low cost, once we do the fit-out. It will be excellent for customers and staff alike,” Mr Niven said.

“It’ll be a prime location, convenient [and] there’ll be easy access for everybody. There’ll be parking in the front, the street and behind.”

He confirmed that along with the latest technology, face-to-face banking would remain a vital element in the organisation’s service delivery.