Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry is calling on the NAB bank to reaffirm its commitment to Capricornia and stop closing regional branches.
The NAB branch in Dysart is closing on the 15th of December 2022, and another five towns are set to lose their last bank over the next two weeks. On top of these, the big four banks have given notice to 35 regional towns that they will be closing branches in the first half of 2023.
“The closure of the NAB branch in Dysart is a massive blow to the local community and will have an impact on the local economy, with those local jobs being lost.
“In regional towns such as Dysart, many of the elderly members of the community have only ever had the experience of face-to-face banking with bank staff that they trust and are friendly and familiar to them.
“These customers will now be forced to either drive long distances to the nearest town or city to do their banking or navigate online banking. Many elderly people find the prospect of online banking terrifying, and because they are vulnerable are more at risk of online scams and hackers.
“The big four receive substantial financial support from the Australian taxpayer, yet they can’t support the regional communities and taxpayers they are benefiting from.
“Customers from regional towns should not have to travel to another town to walk into a bank, not when they’ve been customers to one in their own town. This situation should not happen. People are not convinced of their dedication to regional and rural areas.
“The decision by NAB is incredibly disappointing and I ask them to stop and think about the level of service they should be offering their customers in regional towns, many of which have remained loyal clients to the bank for many years”, Ms Landry said.
