ANZ announces Kingaroy Branch to close, third bank to shut branch in 12 months

In what is becoming a trend, yet another bank has announced its intentions to leave the Burnett, with ANZ confirming it will be closing its Kingaroy branch within months.

In less than 12 months, the South Burnett has lost three bank branches, as major companies pull out of regional areas.

It's been confirmed ANZ will be closing its Kingaroy branch in March next year, just months after NAB and Bank of Queensland announced they would be leaving the region as well.

The move has prompted outrage from local member Deb Frecklington, who accused ANZ of abandoning its regional customers.

“This will be the third ANZ branch to leave my Nanango electorate, with Kilcoy and Toogoolawah also closed over recent years,” Mrs Frecklington said.

“Unfortunately, this is now the common theme for the big banks, who believe they can service their customers just as well online.”

ANZ district manager Steven Straub confirmed the branch would shut its doors for the final time on March 23, and said the move was a response to changing consumer habits.

“Across ANZ last year 70 per cent of our customers preferred digital banking options and our few remaining passbook-only customers have been choosing to use debit cards for the first time,” Mr Straub said.

“This follows a longer-term trend that saw in-branch transactions drop on average about 50 per cent over the past four years. Customers are not using branches like they used to.

“Many of our customers have clearly changed their banking habits, however we understand the transition will be more challenging for some customers, particularly in certain rural or remote locations.”

He said customers would be informed in writing of the decision, as well as the option available including online banking, mobile lenders and mobile banking.

Mr Straub also said customers could visit the Toowoomba branch – a nearly four-hour round trip.

Mrs Frecklington wasn’t as confident.

“(It’s) necessary for community groups, businesses and many individual customers to have access to face-to-face banking services. And we all know that many people in regional areas have poor internet connection, or no computer access at all, so internet banking isn’t always the answer,” she said.

“The other thing that we’re seeing in regional Queensland is the issue of cybercrime. More and more people are being targeted in scams and there is a genuine need for victims of these crimes to be able to access their bank in person to discuss their situation.”

Staff were notified of the closure this week, and Mr Straub said the bank was “making every effort to find redeployment opportunities within ANZ”.