THE Bendigo Bank has announced it will close one of its regional branches on 25 September, sparking anger and disappointment among residents and local leaders.<\/p>\n
The closure of the Bannockburn branch will leave the town without a dedicated banking presence, after customers were notified by email earlier this week.<\/p>\n
Golden Plains Shire mayor Owen Sharkey said the bank\u2019s approach to community consultation was \u201cappalling\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should have got in touch with council to see how to conduct community consultation and good public relations; I think they\u2019ve done a very poor job,\u201d Cr Sharkey said.<\/p>\n
He said he was confident the council would discuss the matter but stressed the municipality could not dictate how a private business operated.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people look at Bendigo Bank as being an integral part of the community. The bank does some fantastic work with its community grants program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chamber of Commerce president Peter Nunn also criticised the decision, calling it \u201can extremely backwards step\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s completely contrary to supporting local businesses,\u201d Mr Nunn said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got members who\u2019ve only just recently moved to the Bendigo Bank who are particularly annoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Nunn said delays in completing nearby shopping centre developments might have contributed to the move. The chamber plans to make a formal representation to the bank and will also seek the council\u2019s position.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t at least make an attempt, if everyone just sits back and goes \u2018nothing can happen\u2019, then nothing will happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Local resident Ros Bosnar, who has banked there for more than 20 years, said the decision was devastating.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of very angry people,\u201d Ms Bosnar said.<\/p>\n
She said many older customers would find it hard to travel to Geelong for in-person service, especially with no public transport available.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Bendigo Bank came here, they were going to be our community bank, so everybody signed up. They\u2019ve supported lots of community groups, and over the years it becomes like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Bosnar said the move made little sense given the rapid growth of Bannockburn and plans for thousands of new homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are they pulling the plug now, when the town is starting to become a city?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A Bendigo Bank spokesperson said the decision was made after a review of changing customer habits, reduced business activity and increased costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo preserve our ability to continue delivering for customers and communities, we must ensure our branches are adequately supported and resourced,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
The bank noted that fewer people are using physical branches, with many preferring online and phone banking.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s understood Bendigo Bank tries to redeploy staff wherever possible when branches close.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Bendigo Bank has announced it will close one of its regional branches on 25 September, sparking anger and disappointment among residents and local leaders. The closure of the Bannockburn branch will leave the town without a dedicated banking presence, after customers were notified by email earlier this week. Golden Plains Shire mayor Owen Sharkey […]<\/p>\n