Omeo: Bank’s closure plan upsets high country town

Victoria’s high country is in danger of losing the only banking service on the Great Alpine Rd, with sporting clubs fearing they will be among the hardest hit.

Omeo is in danger of losing the only face-to-face banking service on the Great Alpine Rd between Bairnsdale and Bright.

East Gippsland Shire subsidises the operation of a Bendigo Bank agency in Omeo and is seeking feedback on whether it should be maintained.

Bendigo Bank was introduced when the Commonwealth and Westpac banks shut branches in the town.

Businesses and sporting clubs are fearful at the loss of a critical service.

Omeo businessman Rod O’Connell.

Omeo businessman Rod O’Connell said the shire should be adding services in the town, rather than shutting them, after it invested in a $10m mountain bike track in the region to draw tourists.

“Not all people are savvy with internet banking and want face-to-face contact when banking,” he said.

“Having the bank and VicRoads agencies in Omeo stops people from having to travel to Bairnsdale.

“The Great Alpine Road is becoming increasingly busy with B-double trucks and many people don’t want to drive to Bairnsdale.

“It’s about service, not profit.

“We told them they’ve just spent an enormous amount of money on a bike track up here and now they’re thinking about pulling services.

“They keep saying ‘it’s not core business’.”

Sonya Lawlor and family at this year’s mountain calf sales.

Omeo Football-Netball Club secretary Sonya Lawlor said sporting clubs would be among the hardest hit by the bank closure.

“So many of the older generation around here still use cash,” she said.

“They go to the bank and get their cash out.

“They also pay bills there, so if we lost that service it would be devastating.

“Our farm rates are about to go up, but what are we getting in return?

“We should be getting increased services, not decreased services.”

Omeo is about to enter a tourism boom with construction of a mountain bike park. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Benambra-based councillor Sonia Buckley said she “championed” the importance of services for remote areas and urged all community members to contact other councillors with their concerns.

“My personal view is that the banking services in Omeo are vital for the growing townships and surrounding communities as well as businesses that are still in recovery,” she said.

“Especially the elderly who should not be forced to drive the increasingly dangerous Great Alpine Road to Bairnsdale to access these vital services.

“To expect this of them is outrageous.”

A Bendigo and Adelaide Bank spokeswoman said: “Given community consultation is continuing and the council is yet to make a decision on the future of the agency, the bank has no comment to make at this point in time”.