Thanks to the continued efforts of FSU members in keeping the issue of bank closures in the spotlight, Westpac has been pressured into reversing its decision to close eight regional bank branches.
The Westpac branches that will no longer close are:
- Cloncurry, Ingham, Tully and Gatton (Queensland)
- Sale and Robinvale (Victoria)
- Denmark (Western Australia)
- Kingston (South Australia).
This is a huge win and is a testament to our continued campaign to keep regional banks open, as well as the courage of our many members across Australia who have spoken up and shared their stories on the impact of these closures.
Our hard work has not only saved these eight regional bank branches, it’s also saved the jobs of numerous bank and finance workers. This means these regional communities will continue to have access to vital in-person banking services.
We’ve still got a long road ahead of us to continue to stop regional bank closures across the country, but this win proves it can be done and gives us hope for the months ahead.
The FSU will be providing evidence to the Senate Inquiry into bank closures as hearings take place in Cloncurry and Ingham next week. We’ll be drawing from your feedback and experiences, which has provided valuable insights and contributed to the development of our submission to the inquiry.
We know banks like Westpac have always argued that regional bank closures are a response to customers’ changing preferences. But thanks to your insight, we know this is in stark contrast to what customers (and staff) actually want and exposes this argument as fake.
If Westpac can reverse its decision to close regional bank branches, then so can the other banks, and we’ll continue to campaign to ensure as many regional and rural branches as possible stay open.