Albanese's Government must intervene to halt regional bank closures

The Federal Government must act to halt regional bank closures, which would have serious welfare impacts, especially for the elderly, writes Dale Webster in an open letter to Prime Minister Albanese.

DEAR MR ANTHONY ALBANESE,

For a federal parliamentary petition to be approved, the rules state the request must be for something the House of Representatives, the House, can do.

Just five months ago, a petition calling for an immediate moratorium on regional bank closures was signed off by your Government, published and subsequently received 5,000 signatures.

In defiance of a direct request by a Senate Committee investigating the economic and welfare impacts of regional bank closures to pause all planned closures while the inquiry was in progress, Westpac shut the last banks in the South Australian towns of Coober Pedy and Tailem Bend.

For the residents of Coober Pedy, the next banking option is 500 km away and out of reach of many, particularly the elderly.

Banks pressured to put the brakes on branch closures

The Big Four banks have been asked to halt any planned branch closures upon this week's announcement that the Federal Senate will hold the first parliamentary inquiry into regional bank closures in 19 years.

Next week, Westpac is planning to shut down the last bank in the Western Australian town of Carnamah, an equally isolated but growing community.

Westpac also plans to shut banks in Hay, Moree, Katherine and Shepparton.

The National Australia Bank (NAB) and ANZ have also thumbed their noses at the Senate’s request.

NAB is planning to close Barraba, Clifton and Alexandra’s last banks, as well as branches in Longreach, Maffra and Belmont.

ANZ is closing 13 regional branches, including the last bank in Smithton Tasmania, which has lost two major banks in the space of months after the Commonwealth Bank also pulled out. The other planned closures are at Cessnock, Gunnedah, Lithgow, Moree, Mudgee, Muswellbrook, Tumut, Camperdown, Cobram, Moe, Myrtleford and Robinvale.

These banks are among more than 100 regional sites that have been closed or had closures notices issued by the big four since the end of September.

As a matter of urgency, I ask that your Government honour the message you sent Australians by approving the petition calling for a moratorium on regional bank closures, by using whatever means that are within your power to have these pending closures put on hold while the Senate Inquiry is in progress.

Regards,

Dale Webster

Westpac closes regional bank, despite pledges to the contrary

Regional communities face more banking closures, even though some banks have stated they would put such closures on hold, writes Dale Webster.

POSTSCRIPT: I also write to inform you that the Carnamah Post Office, which will be the only location residents of this isolated town in West Australia will be able to only the barest of banking transactions if the planned closure of the Westpac branch goes ahead this Friday, does not have disabled access.

This is not only a clear breach of the Banking Code of Practice, it is also discriminatory and a breach of fundamental human rights.

I again ask you to please do something to help the people in this town. All they are asking is for this closure to be put on hold while your Government assesses the welfare impact of branch closures.

Dale Webster is an inaugural recipient of a Walkley Foundation Grant for Freelance Journalism on Regional Australia. She publishes independently through her own title, 'The Regional'. You can follow Dale on Twitter @TheRegional_au.