Bendigo confirms exit from Newcomb and Belmont

THE BENDIGO and Adelaide Bank has told staff it won’t be reopening its Belmont and Newcomb branches, but has reassured them that no job losses will occur as a result.

The Belmont branch closed in December last year and Newcomb in February this year due to covid and influenza related staff shortages.

Managing director Marnie Baker delivered the news of closure to staff last month.

“Making decisions such as these are never easy and are only made after carefully considering all our options,” Ms Baker said.

“No employee will lose their jobs as a result of the decision and staff impacted will be deployed locally.”

Customers from Belmont and Newcomb will have their accounts re-domiciled between 2km and 4km away to either the Highton or Malop Street branches of the bank.

Ms Baker stressed that the bank and its eight Community Bank partners will maintain 16 branches across Geelong, Surf Coast and Bellarine.

“Almost twice as many as any other bank,” she said.

Banking customers relying on bricks and mortar branches across the region have witnessed rolling closures in recent years, sped up by the pandemic that saw many of them move online.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia recently announced its Drysdale branch will soon close, news that followed shortly after National Australia Bank announcing it too was closing its branch there.