ANZ to close Ringwood North branch on March 28

The last bank at a Maroondah shopping centre is closing its services, raising fears it could hit traders in the hip pocket.

ANZ is closing its Ringwood North branch on March 28. Picture: Kiel Egging.

The last bank at a Maroondah shopping centre is closing its services, raising fears it could hit traders in the hip pocket.

ANZ will close its branch at North Ringwood Shopping Centre and shut down its ATM on Warrandyte Rd on March 28.

The move comes after the Commonwealth Bank closed its branch on the shopping strip in May last year.

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Regular shopper Christine Kuppler, of Park Orchards, said she moved one of her accounts to ANZ after the CBA branch closed.

“It’s the only bank available in this area,” she said.

“The staff are really helpful, it really shocks me because this is a vibrant shopping centre.”

North Ringwood Charcoal Chicken’s Nick Mikos, whose business is next to the branch, feared the closure would have a major impact on traders and foot traffic.

“It will affect the whole strip,” he said.

“All the shops around here use it to get change, so where are we going to go now?”

Ringwood North shopper Louise Bibby said the decision would disadvantage elderly people and those who enjoyed banking locally.

“I’d prefer this than going to Eastland, I don’t want to see places like this disappear,” she said.

ANZ’s Victorian general manager Michael Wake said only 12 per cent of its Ringwood North branch customers used it for face-to-face banking.

He said more than 80 per cent preferred online banking, mobile banking and ATMs.

“ANZ is responding by reconfiguring our branch network to provide the services our customers most use, where demand is greatest,” Mr Wake said.

“We consider a number of factors in making these decisions, including impacts on our customers, and they are not easy decisions to make.”

Mr Wake said ANZ had written to all customers about the closure and encouraged those who preferred face-to-face banking to visit its branch at Eastland.

He said the bank was working with staff at the branch to offer redeployment opportunities.

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