ANZ Bank’s move to close SA branches slammed
A LOBETHAL business has launched a petition to force the ANZ Bank to reverse its decision to close a local branch and four other SA regional branches by November, saying it will “leave a hole in everything and rip an important part of the community fabric”.
A LOBETHAL business has launched a petition to force the ANZ Bank to reverse its decision to close a local branch and four other SA regional branches by November, saying it will “leave a hole in everything and rip an important part of the community fabric”.
ANZ Bank is due to close its Lobethal branch on November 20, along with its Bordertown branch. Its Goolwa, Blackwood and Munno Para branches are set to close on October 15.
GE Hughes Construction Company founder Garry Hughes told The Advertiser he started the petition after the bank “lied” to him about consulting with businesses about the closure.
“I told them it was lies. I have been with them for 46 years and I wasn’t consulted. Neither were some of the other local businesses in the area.
“One this is for sure, if they decide not to reverse their decision, I couldn’t support them anywhere else,” he said.
Mr Hughes said the close-knit and growing community, especially the retirees, would miss the convenience and social interaction the branch offered.
“The branch, the post office, the bakery, are all important to the Lobethal community — and this will leave a hole in everything and rip an important part of the community fabric,” he said.
Lobethal is a town of 2,500 people. It is home to one of the district’s largest retirement villages.
“I have 130 employees and all our transactions have been through the bank. I am upset by how the bank has dealt with this situation,” he said.
Mr Hughes said he had received a 1000 signatures on his petition, which he started two weeks ago.
Recently elected Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie spoke in the House of Representatives, has written to ANZ Bank to reverse its decision.
She also posted her speech on her official Facebook account, calling for people to support Garry’s petition.
“I am not alone in being annoyed that the ANZ bank is closing branches in Lobethal and Goolwa, South Australia,” Ms Sharkie said on Facebook.
“It just seems that more and more services are being taken away from our country towns.”
“Lobethal and Goolwa, in particular, have an older population that will feel the impact the most,” she said.
In Parliament, she said: “In regional areas there are certain facilities that are anchors in a community: the school, the footy club, the post office and the banks.
“Closing a branch has a devastating impact on a community, and not just on older customers. “A number of businesses have spoken to me about how losing their ANZ branch will cost them time, money and peace of mind,” she said.
“ANZ might consider us small fry in its corporate big picture but, if enough small-fry businesses band together, we believe we can make a difference,” she said.
According to ANZ, the branches have to close because its customers are all using internet
banking, but Ms Sharkie questioned “the validity of that reasoning”.
“Given the damning evidence that has come to light from the banking royal commission, wouldn’t it make sense to invest in regional Australia and not leave us high and dry?
“ANZ, you should be ashamed of yourself,” she said.
Her full speech is here.
“The closest bank branch will be 25kms away and some of the people in the community don’t drive, she told The Advertiser.
“Those that do will simply shop at Mount Barker. This has wider implications for local businesses and the economy,” Ms Sharkie said.
There’s also the impact on jobs.
“Banks often say they are pillars of the community in regional areas. This is an opportunity for ANZ Bank to do what it says,” she said.
The bank confirmed the closures, with ANZ general manager retail SA Larissa Beeson saying the it was “reconfiguring our branch network to focus on where demand is greatest”.
“Of our customers who have their home branches in these locations, only about 13 per cent of them use the branch with more than 60 per cent of them preferring online and mobile options for their banking,” she said.