West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt has vowed to fight the closure of Queenstown’s Bendigo Bank branch while criticising the bank for failing to properly consult with the local community.
Pitt said he learnt of the closure through an email on Tuesday, describing the bank’s communication as inadequate compared to previous bank closures in the area.
“There’s been no consultation at all,” he told 7XS. “I can go back to when the Commonwealth Bank closed here in Queenstown. We had good communications from the bank back then.”
The Commonwealth Bank gave six months’ notice before shutting its doors, while Bendigo Bank’s announcement came as a “sudden” email.
The closure means the West Coast will soon be left without a dedicated bank branch, forcing residents to drive two and a half hours to Burnie for full banking services.
Some basic banking will still be available at the local post office through the ‘Bank@Post’ program.
Pitt said he is especially worried about older locals who find technology tricky, as well as visitors needing to withdraw cash.
“They’re only going to have one AGM to go to, which is the one at Railway Supermarket,” he said.
The mayor said he raised concerns about the branch’s future two years ago, despite being assured by bank management that the Queenstown branch would stay open.
“I was told then, no, that’s not going to happen. I had a meeting with the general manager of Bendigo Bank last year … [who] said then 12 months ago that this bank wouldn’t close,” he said.
“The best thing for the community is just to voice their concerns as well and their opinion and, you know, we’ll try and fight for the bank to stay open.”
Pitt has already reached out to local politicians, the premier and the bank workers’ union. He has also asked for meetings with Bendigo Bank’s senior management.
The closure will be discussed at a special council meeting on Tuesday night, where Pitt plans to put forward ideas to fight the decision.
“It’s not over until the bank doors are closed. So we’ll keep fighting for whatever we can do,” he said.
“These people who make these decisions probably don’t even know where Queenstown, Tasmania is.”
The Queenstown branch is one of several Bendigo Bank closures happening across the country due to low visitor numbers, including the branch at Kings Meadows in Launceston.
“While we recognise that some customers will be impacted, many customers are choosing to bank with us differently,” Bendigo Bank said.
“We have sought to minimise any impact on customers and the decision to close this location takes into consideration the proximity of other service locations and the range of alternate banking options available to our customers.”
