CBA to close at Logan Central Plaza leaving elderly with no bank

The last of the “big four” banks at the busy Logan Central Plaza will close next month, leaving the area with virtually no financial services branches.

Logan Cr Teresa Lane has called on the Financial Services Union to stop the closure of the CBA branch at Logan Central.

One of the last remaining banks at the busy Logan Central Plaza will close next month, leaving the area with no branches from any of the four major banks.

CBA said it would close the branch on June 4 as more people were using ATMs and were pat of the cashless society.

Other tenants in the plaza said the bank had also been forced to endure a local crime spike and had recorded alarming cases of customers abusing staff.

The news sparked anger from elderly shoppers and the Woodridge State School who have both signed a petition launched by Logan councillor Teresa Lane.

After the closure, only the Bank of Queensland will service Logan Central and the surrounding suburb of Woodridge.

Suncorp Bank has an ATM inside Logan Central Plaza but the closest bank branch will be a NAB branch 6km away.

Suncorp also has a branch at Springwood and ANZ has a branch at Underwood about 7km away.

Logan Central retailer Dean Davis who runs $5 store Silly Solly’s at the complex adjoining the plaza said abuse from customers in the area was on the rise.

He said customers were also venting their anger over the closure.

“Crime in the area is a very big part of the problem but bank staff were also enduring a lot of high-level abuse which we have been told also led to the decision to close,” Mr Davis said.

“Thefts are increasing and it’s disappointing because we are a $5 store and have small margins and we want people to save and shop so the bank closing is unfortunate.

“It won’t affect us as a retailer but there will be some who will have to go to Springwood to do their banking.”

Woodridge State School committee member Carmel Maciejewski said the school P&C did all of its banking at the CB.

“It is close and convenient as we don’t want to be travelling far with money,” she said.

“They say we can bank through Australia Post but I would love to see the look on the staff’s faces at the Australia Post Office when our P&C rolls up there with $13,000 with at least $8000 in coins after our Spring Fair or our Colour Run in June.”

Cr Lane said elderly customers were concerned and she had written to the Financial Services Union to lodge a complaint.

“Distressed residents are asking for help to reverse this mean-spirited decision,” she said.

“Their view is the planned closure is outrageous and lacking in community spirit.

“I regularly hold mobile offices at Logan Central Plaza and the queues to get into the bank can span the front of several shop tenancies.

“The people who frequent the bank then go on to spend money in the local shopping centre, which in turn supports local jobs.

“Moving the bank away from the centre will move the spending habits of local residents resulting in slower sales and potential job losses.

“This quiet closure of the local bank has come at a time when businesses are just starting to get on their feet post-COVID, when pensioners are starting to feel confident about heading out to the shops for social outings and when families are receiving an income again and can call in to discuss their financial future plans.”

The petition can be found here.