General News
24 September, 2020
Mortlake's ANZ branch closure angers Mortlake community
MORTLAKE is set to be without a bank from next March with the ANZ branch in the town to close.
MORTLAKE is set to be without a bank from next March with the ANZ branch in the town to close.
ANZ general manager for Victoria Michael Wake confirmed earlier this week Mortlake’s ANZ branch will close as of March 18, 2021 as customer habits change and customer transactions decline.
The move will leave the town without a branch for locals to conduct their banking, a decision which has outraged the community.
Mortlake Community Development Committee (MCDC) president Kelvin Goodall said the announcement was a sad day for Mortlake.
“As far as the ANZ closure goes we’re sympathetic for the people who are employed there who live in the town,” he said.
“We’re also angry at the effect this will have on the elderly as well as the people who can’t drive in Mortlake because it’s an aging population in the town.
“There’s a sense of shock too because it came out of the blue. When it was announced the building was for sale, the bank sent out letters saying it is not closing, it is staying open.
“The building hasn’t sold but the bank is going.”
Mr Goodall said the closure would not only affect individuals but also the town’s various community groups and businesses.
“It affects all community groups for the way they do their banking,” he said.
“It’ll also affect businesses that use it for all forms of banking, getting cash or banking their takings.
“While there is talk of a cashless society, it isn’t (the case) in small country towns.”
Mr Goodall said locals would now have to consider doing their banking in a nearby town.
“Without having a branch here it will be extremely inconvenient for locals to do their banking elsewhere,” he said.
“Terang is only open for two hours a day, it’s 30 minutes to Camperdown and its 40 minutes to Warrnambool where there is a range of banking options.
“The other thing is the bank is an icon of your town. If you lose your bank, you lose part of your identity.”
Mr Goodall said MCDC would explore the prospect of setting Mortlake up with its own community bank.
Mr Wake said the decision to close came in response to declining face-to-face customer transactions.
“As our customers have changed the way they do their banking in recent years they no longer use branches as much and we see a 10 per cent decline in customer transactions every year,” he said.
“At the same time, demand for our contact centres and hardship teams has grown significantly.
“An increasing majority of our customers prefer the convenience of doing their banking when it suits them.
“Our apps and call centres are convenient and we’ve also seen a number of passbook customers opting for debit cards recently.”
Mr Wake said moving services online was a growing trend across a range of industries in Australia.
“While many of our customers have already changed their banking habits in recent times, we recognise the transition will be more challenging for some customers,” he said.
“We are writing to customers personally to let them know about the closure, which is about six months away.
“This will provide time for us to discuss alternative banking methods with them, including online, telephone and mobile banking.
“We will work individually with our vulnerable customers to help them with alternative branches, digital options, using the Contact Centre and debit cards.”
Mr Wake said ANZ was hoping to find new roles for affected staff within the business.
“We recently announced the closure to staff and we are making every effort to find redeployment opportunities within the bank, particularly with the unprecedented demands on our call centres,” he said.
“We will seek to retain as many staff members as possible through helping them move into a range of new roles across ANZ where our customers need us most right now, such as our call centre, customer resolution and hardship teams.”
The bank closure is another blow to small towns in regional Victoria, with the National Australia Bank reducing the operating hours across multiple branches including Terang, Cobden and Timboon recently.
