Bank of Melbourne shuts Forest Hill, Ferntree Gully, Burwood branches
A major bank has abandoned three shopping centres in Knox and Whitehorse, leaving customers infuriated.
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Customers have taken to social media to express their disappointment after the Bank of Melbourne shut three branches in the east.
The bank has closed its branches at Burwood One Shopping Centre, Mountain Gate Shopping Centre Ferntree Gully and Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre.
The Burwood East and Forest Hill branches have amalgamated with the bank’s Glen Waverley branch, while the Mountain Gate outlet has amalgamated with the Westfield Knox branch.
Customers can also bank at nearby Australia Post outlets which are within 200m of each of the closed branches.
The banks had been temporarily closed during Covid, so there hasn’t been any staff impact.
It was revealed in March that the Westpac Banking Group will shut 48 branches nationally, a decision spurred on by more people banking online.
On the Whitehorse Noticeboard Facebook page customers expressed their frustration over the Forest Hill bank’s closure, and in particular the loss of the automated counting machine where you take coins.
One woman said: “There are too many good businesses going from Forest Hill Chase.”
A Bank of Melbourne spokeswoman said the Westpac Group was continuing to follow its customers by investing in the ways they were choosing to bank.
“This follows a seismic shift toward digital and cashless banking, and declining foot traffic in bank branches, particularly in urban and metropolitan areas,” she said.
“To meet this changing customer demand, we have grown our 24/7 phone banking and virtual banking centres, and as part of these changes our Preston centre has undertaken a $1 million refurbishment to increase capacity.
“When we do close a branch, it is not a decision we take lightly. Branches will continue to remain an important service option for Bank of Melbourne, especially in areas that have high customer usage.”
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