General News
24 June, 2023
Case closed: Bendigo Bank calls time
When the doors close at Warracknabeal’s Bendigo Bank branch at 2pm today, they will remain closed despite the public outcry and visits from politicians. “We regret to advise that the Bendigo Bank Agency located at DMA Tax Pty Ltd, 36 Scott...
When the doors close at Warracknabeal’s Bendigo Bank branch at 2pm today, they will remain closed despite the public outcry and visits from politicians.
“We regret to advise that the Bendigo Bank Agency located at DMA Tax Pty Ltd, 36 Scott Street, Warracknabeal, will be closing on Tuesday 20 June 2023 at 2pm,” said the letters which customers received back in March.
With the ANZ having pulled out of Warracknabeal in 2018 and the Commonwealth Bank and NAB open for only three to 3.5 hours per day, some residents are saying that the painful loss of the Bendigo Bank branch is a death knell for the town.
“If people are going to go to Horsham to do their banking, while they’re there they’ll do shopping and everything else, so it is just taking money out of the town,” resident Chris Docaston said.
“When they took the ATM out of the Bendigo Bank I rang the manager in Bendigo and he said that the Bendigo Bank would never pull out from Warracknabeal because there was too much money tied up in the town.
“Our town is battling all the time – we’re just coming out of Covid, we’re trying to get back on our feet, then they do this to us.”
Judith Drage said local organisations would struggle with the loss of the branch.
“We’ve got an account with the Arts Council,” Ms Drage said.
“I just think for organisations that are in town, it is extremely inconvenient because you do deal with cash and you still deal with cheques, so to have to go to Horsham is a great inconvenience."
Kim Goodwin agreed, saying: “The different organisations I belong to bank through Bendigo Bank and we’ll have to move once Bendigo closes.
“It’s gonna make it a bit more difficult – Bendigo Bank was open all day, except for Wednesdays, the other banks are not.”
John Aitken said he first brought the agency to town as Bendigo Building Society and that the branch closing was very disappointing.
“I opened the first agency at Warracknabeal Amcal Pharmacy years ago, and it has served our community well.” Mr Aitken said.
The building was subsequently taken over by Rob Lehmann in 1992, who established the Northwest Travel Agency and was there when Bendigo Building Society became Bendigo Bank.
“It is disappointing as the bank always said it would support small communities in rural Australia," Mr Aitken said.
“We’re having trouble with all the banks, and Bendigo Bank said it was going to look after rural Australians.
“You can appreciate the fact that they trie, but you wonder why they couldn’t make it work, particularly as the other banks are pulling out.
“Whether the post office ends up with a bank, they’re talking about that, and that may be a solution, but it’s disappointing.”
Have your say: come and see us at the Warracknabeal Herald office, write us a letter or email us at news@wimmeramalleenew.com.au.