A new Westpac bank has opened in Smithton, bucking the national trend of banks withdrawing from rural communities.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff attended the opening this week, praising the move.
“It’s fantastic to have a service centre being opened when all the talk around the entire state, country, is about banks withdrawing their services from local communities,” he said.
He highlighted the region’s diverse agricultural base as a key factor in attracting the bank to open in this particular community.
“This service centre wouldn’t be coming back if it wasn’t for the hard work of our entrepreneurs, our small business people, our farmers, which are the wealth generators,” he said.
Smithton is a major hub for timber, dairy, beef, and fishing industries.
Westpac said they are establishing similar service centres in other rural communities across Australia.
The new Smithton centre provides face-to-face banking services and financial advice to local residents and businesses.
