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Basketball bonanza Photographs supplied
The Boomers are in town tomorrow, playing the first of two FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in Traralgon. To celebrate, Express basketball expert, Blake Metcalf-Holt has compiled a special feature on the region’s own Australian players Belinda Snell, Jenna O’Hea, Jack White, and Jade Melbourne. STORY - PAGE 42
Big four agree to stay By TOM HAYES
NO regional bank branches will close before July 2027, after the big four banks struck a deal with the federal government. NAB agreed to a moratorium on closures until July 31, 2027, while Commonwealth Bank and Westpac will extend their agreements to match. ANZ already had an agreement in place to stop the closures of branches as part of the takeover of Suncorp last year. According to NAB, it has the strongest regional presence of any major bank in Australia, with 48 per cent of its branch network dedicated to regional communities (437 branches, 210 in regional and rural areas). NAB also invested $41 million across its branches over the last 12 months.
“While digital banking continues to evolve, we firmly believe that face-toface banking services remain essential for many Australians,” NAB Group Executive for Personal Banking, Ana Marinkovic said. “Our recent move to Saturday branch openings (in November 2024) demonstrates our conviction that while digital is foundational, a human touch is just as important in the moments that matter for our customers.” Following the agreement, Commonwealth Bank announced it will invest $100 million into upgrades for its branches and ATM fleet. About 36 per cent of regional bank branches have closed since 2017, as data from the Australia Prudential Regulatory Authority found nearly 800
bank branch closures across the country. Furthermore, over 200 ATMs from the big four banks were removed in the past 12 months alone, a small portion of the more than 8000 bank-owned ATMs removed since 2017. Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that the deal ensured faceto-face banking services remained for people who need them. “Banks have a responsibility to regional Australia, and we’re making sure that they are meeting their responsibilities,” he said. “We know that if we want a strong national economy, then regional Australia needs to be a big part of the story, and that means making sure that banking services are available to the businesses and workers and people and communities of regional Australia.
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“This is all about making sure that banks stay open in the bush.” The deal includes increased funding for Bank@Post operations at Australia Post branches. This comes after Australia Post ramped up cash services when bank branches began to leave regional areas. The final report also recommended an expansion of the Bank@Post service. Australia Post Chief Executive and Managing Director, Paul Graham was pleased with the announcement. “The new agreements will also help maintain the sustainability of thousands of licenced post offices, many of which are small business run by families who play an essential role in servicing their local communities,” he said. Mr Graham also mentioned that the arrangements would ensure more than 3000 post offices could continue
to provide “essential banking services” to communities with no other options. Commonwealth Bank, NAB, and Westpac have reached new agreements with Australia Post’s banking service. Macquarie Bank and HSBC will begin negotiations to join the agreement, while ANZ - which was originally a part of the service until 2019 - agreed to terms to re-sign. “We are pleased negotiations with Australia Post are at an advanced stage. Under terms, ANZ customers would be able to access Bank@Post services from (October 1, 2025),” ANZ Managing Director, Retail Banking, Katherine Bray said. Continued, Vox Pop - Page 8