A crowd of about 150 people gathered outside Garden Park on Thursday morning to protest against the announced closure of Cohuna’s Bendigo Bank agency.
Currently, Bendigo Bank is the only agency open full-time in the area and its departure would require locals to travel to Kerang or Echuca for some in-person banking needs.
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said this was not a possibility for many in the area, particularly those who were elderly, who struggle to travel regularly and often “IT challenged and don’t have internet capabilities.”
The effect of not having a local branch spreads further than just residents’ personal banking, with clubs and local organisations also feeling the brunt of the problem.
The local Lions Club Progress Association’s treasurer Roma Dye said it was currently not possible for the club to be given a bank card because it had more than one person listed on the account.
“It’s a security thing and I understand that but why can’t they have a card that we just put money in and it means now, without that, I have to travel to either Echuca or Kerang,” she said.
Mrs Dye said she was also “uncomfortable” holding public money for an extended period of time and had always gone to the bank as soon as possible. With the increased travel time she will have to have the money on her for longer.
Former Gannawarra Shire councillor Andrew Gibbs spoke at the rally.
He said there was growing sentiment in the area and that he himself had concerns about businesses being required to hold money for longer with the current local crime rate.
Mr Walsh said he believed Bendigo Bank had “lost sight” of its initial promise to deliver banking to regional areas.
He said there had been no consultation by the bank with the local residents before this decision was announced and that people in the areas deserved a chance to increase their usage of the bank.
“Instead of just saying that we’re going to close it, what I’ve put to them is give the community a chance to meet whatever threshold you want ... it gives the community a chance to vote with their feet or their cash,” he said.
The data collected and used by the banks to justify such decisions as closing down regional branches also needs to be widened, according to Mr Walsh.
“The biggest impact is on those who use the bank for all the services that ... don’t actually get registered in the statistics,” he said.
Mr Gibbs said the best solution at this point would be for Bendigo Bank to open a community branch, like it had offered in other smaller regional places.
“A community bank is owned by local people, the dividends get shared amongst community sporting clubs and things like that and it has a rural bank and a rural bank is very popular with farmers,” he said.
“It would just make a lot of sense for them.”
A Bendigo Bank spokesperson said that customers of the Cohuna, Pyramid Hill and Barham agencies either had or would soon receive letters informing them of the reasons for the closures.
“It is important to highlight the comparable services available via Bank@Post at the nearest post office,” the spokesperson said.
“In Pyramid Hill, the post office is less than 50 metres from the agency at 12-14 Kelly St.
“In Cohuna, the post office is less than 200 metres from the agency at 35 King Edward St.
“In Barham, the post office is less than 200 metres from the agency at 35 Murray St.”