Bank branches have been progressively closed across regional Australia in recent years and country town communities are fearful that their branches may be next.
Wee Waa has lost its bank branches and virtually every town reports similar closures.
However, Commonwealth Bank executives who visited Narrabri on a recent tour of country centres assured their audience that no closure of Narrabri Commonwealth Bank branch was currently envisaged, a position to be reassessed in three years.
“The CBA recently made a decision to pause all CBA regional branch closures until the end of 2026”, Regional NSW executive manager, Rupert Backus, told the Narrabri gathering.
“About 40 per cent of our branches are in regional areas yet regional Australia only accounted for only 25 per cent of closures over the past four years”, Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn said at the September Senate Committee hearing on banking.
Many elements were considered in regional branch closures, but support from the community to sustain local banking services is important.
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