JUNEE businesses and community groups have angrily stated the imminent closure of the local ANZ branch will throw their daily operations into chaos.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Broadway Street branch is set to close on November 9 and furious local figures say the move will severely hurt local business.
Junee District Co-Op manager and secretary Ian Cooper said his business needs cannot be met by ANZ’s diminished presence in the post office.
“We need to deposit cash and buy change every day.”
“They can’t accommodate us change wise in the post office, they don't give change at all,” Mr Cooper said.
“They can only take $5,000 cash deposits at a time and we often deposite well over that each day.”
“It’s not the post office’s fault, but we’ll have to do those things out of town.”
The Schoolboys Carnival Committee is one of many local groups set to feel the pain of the closure, according to secretary Maree Allamby.
“We bank with ANZ and to run a carnival float means we’ll either have to change banks or travel out of town to pick up a float,” she said.
“We’ll then have more banking to do at the end of the day.
“They need a card at the post office but we don’t use a card for anything, and sporting facilities don’t have eftpos.
“It’s a big problem for sports clubs around town, they all have canteens without eftpos facilities.
Mr Cooper holds grave concerns for the town’s well-being following the departure of the bank.
He said towns without banks are “bound to become ghost towns.”
“A town with no banks is bad news because people will go elsewhere to do their banking, and they’ll do their shopping out of town at the same time,” he said.
“Not to mention, businesses won’t want to open here when they can’t access the full banking services.”
Meanwhile, Riverina MP Michael McCormack, who said he expressed his disappointment with the bank, is maintaining a more positive outlook.
“I don’t want people to think Junee is in any way suffering from an economic malaise, because it’s not,” he said.
“Junee is going well and small business owners and members from the community that I speak to also feel Junee is going well.
“It’s a resilient community and I’m sure they’ll get past this setback.”
