West Coast Fights to Save Last Bank Branch

In an effort to save the last bank on Tasmania’s West Coast, residents of Queenstown and the surrounding district have gathered to protest Bendigo Bank’s decision to close its local branch.

The community, supported by various political representatives, is calling on the bank to reverse its decision and for the federal government to act on a recent inquiry into regional bank closures.

On behalf of the Citizens Party, which was instrumental in establishing the 2023-24 Senate inquiry, Research Director Robert Barwick flew in from Melbourne for the meeting, and was joined by local Citizens Party representative Ray Williams, a former NAB branch manager.

Barwick told the meeting that the scrutiny of the Senate inquiry had succeeded in forcing some banks to reverse closure decisions.

“By reversing those decisions under political and community pressure, the banks proved those branches had been viable all along”, he said.

“I believe Bendigo Bank’s Queenstown branch is viable, and there is chance that political pressure could save this branch too.”

Federal ALP Member for Braddon Ann Urquhart, and state members for Braddon Gavin Pearce, Liberal, and Anita Dow, ALP, also attended the meeting.

Bendigo Bank is scheduled to close the branch on 26 September, even though it will continue to pay rent on the premises until June 2026.

The Bank prefers to pay rent on an empty building instead of providing a service to its customers, the last banking service on the entire Western coast of the state.

Barwick noted that the Senate inquiry concluded by putting the onus on the banks to provide a service.

“Do not accept this is a legitimate business decision and Queenstown is just unlucky”, he said.

“This is bank CEO Richard Fennell being greedy, to fatten his bonus by cutting costs, regardless of how much this decision will devastate the region.”

Barwick informed the crowd that Queenstown was unique, as the town where the Commonwealth Bank was conceived by King O’Malley, the first representative for the area in the federal parliament at Federation, who founded the Commonwealth Bank as a People’s Bank in 1912, which originally started in post offices.

The Citizens Party is campaigning for a new government-owned bank to provide a guaranteed service for all Australians,  which it advocates should be a postal bank, operating in Australia’s 4000+ post offices, which is more than all Bank branches combined.

He observed: “Literally across the street from Bendigo Bank’s pokey branch is the magnificent, historic Queenstown post office, which could double as a full-service bank that always serves the region, if the government has the fortitude to take on the Australian Banking Association and sets it up.”

The Senate inquiry recommended the government should establish an expert panel to investigate the feasibility of re-establishing a government bank, including a postal bank.

Media release – Anne Urquhart, Federal Member for Braddon, 4 August 2025

Bendigo Bank Closure Queenstown

Local, State and Federal representatives have strongly backed West Coast residents who turned out on the weekend to call on the Bendigo Bank to reverse its decision to close its Queenstown branch and remove its ATM.

Residents and their representatives were blind-sided by the Bank’s recent decision which will mean that from September there will be no remaining bank branches across the West Coast.

Just opening a bank account will in future require a minimum 4 hour round trip to the nearest face-to-face facilities in Burnie.

Over 1200 people have signed a petition calling on the Bank to stay and more than 50 people met in Queenstown on Sunday with Shane Pitt, West Coast Mayor, Anne Urquhart, Federal Member Braddon, Anita Dow, state Labor representative and newly elected state Liberal Member for Braddon, Gavin Pearce.

Bendigo Bank was invited to the meeting but chose not to attend.

Residents and supporters are angry that Bendigo Bank did not undertake local consultation or discuss alternatives prior to its decision. The bank has been reluctant to meet to consider any variation to its decision, including the possibility of continuation of ATM services to the community.

Urquhart, Dow and Pearce are jointly calling on the Bank to do the right thing and stand by the local community by keeping the branch open.

A recent Federal Inquiry into regional bank closures has highlighted the concerns around loss of face-to-face banking facilities. It made a raft of recommendation that would protect access to personal and business banking services in regional, rural and remote locations. It also recommended a code of conduct for branch closures administered by a regulator with expertise in consumer protection.

The report also calls on banks operating in regional areas to work with consumer organisations, local communities, and all levels of government to make sure regional communities have adequate access to face-to-face banking services – something the Bendigo Bank has failed to do in making its recent decision.

The Federal Government has not yet responded to the Inquiry, and the meeting called for a response.

“Business closures in regional communities hit residents hard, and the closure of bank branches is particularly damaging. Banks are returning profits to shareholders – but they are failing to maintain a social licence in our communities.

“When banks turn their back on places like the West Coast, they make it harder for everyone to invest and build resilience in regional and remote communities,” said Anne Urquhart.

Anita Dow said “It’s easy to say people should bank online or in Burnie, but a lot of West Coasters simply can’t do that.

“Not everyone wants to use internet services and as a matter of equity I don’t think they should have no other option, with the nearest other Bendigo Bank branch two hours away in Burnie.

“We will always continue to advocate for good local services for regional Tasmanians, and we won’t stop standing up for the West Coast,” she said.

Gavin Pearce thanked the many residents of the West Coast for standing up for the region on this fundamental essential community service and he vowed to stand beside them.