Residents have been left fuming after two of Australia’s major banks confirmed they would close its local branch without warning.
Every day, residents, small business owners and families walk into the Doonside Commonwealth Bank branch, which has served the western Sydney community for close to 60 years for their banking services.
However, that will soon end, as the doors will close on November 29.
Many say the closest branches in Blacktown and Mount Druitt are too far away.
‘For the older people the amount of walking it takes to get to the centre’s bank is atrocious,’ one told A Current Affair.
Another added: ‘I’m a little upset that I have to go somewhere else because I’m used to this one. It’s not far away from home.’
Doonside locals are protesting the sudden closure of their Commonwealth Bank branch which will shut its doors for good on November 29
Mr Bali claims the bank made its decision to shutter its branch ‘without any consultation’.
Speaking to NewsWire, Bali said the suburb is home to ‘approximately 10,000 people aged over 60 or people identified with long-term chronic health issues’ who are now ‘being forced to travel return trip of at least half-hour to a major shopping centre to undertake their banking needs’.
The Blacktown MP added that ‘local observations indicate that an average of 60-80 people a day go to the bank or approximately 20,000 people transactions a year’, which indicates the suburb still requires a bank branch.
‘(The) local newsagency has a subagency as a post office and the CBA expects this small business to be a sub-subagency for bank that generates 20,000 transactions,’ he said.
Mr Bali added that one quarter of the suburb’s population is aged over-60 and that forcing them travel to the next closest branch 6km away will require a lot of effort.
Blacktown MP Stephen Bali said the closure was ‘destroying’ local businesses and that the bank had turned its back on locals
The Commonwealth Bank has closed 354 local branches since 2018
Commonwealth Bank Sydney region general manager Irene Rowlands, said customers can visit neighbouring branches or use internet banking when the Doonside branch closes.
‘Westpoint Blacktown, Mount Druitt and Seven Hills Shopping Centre branches are popular banking centres for the Doonside community, and as a result we’ve invested $5.1 million to expand our services for customers in the area,’ she said.
‘These are larger branches, with more staff at each location, including home lending specialists, business bankers, and access to convenient self-service technology,’ the statement read.
‘We remain committed to maintaining the largest branch network in the country and warmly welcome our Doonside customers to our nearby branches.’
The closure is the latest in a long line of banks and ATMs closing en-masse across the country.
More than 1,600 branches, including 354 of CBA’s, and 6,084 ATMs have closed nationally in the last five years.
The drastic reduction in ATMs accounts resulted in 54 per cent of the country’s entire amount being shuttered.
ANZ in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains, also closed down in September which left residents with no other option than travelling to Bathurst or Penrith for the next closest one
Katoomba residents in the Blue Mountains, had their last local bank close when ANZ made the decision to shut its only branch in the area in September, leaving the 80,000 person population with dwindling options.
To local resident Kim Grace, the decision to shut the only remaining branch in the area is a ‘big middle finger to the entire Blue Mountains community’.
The nearest branch for residents in Katoomba is in Bathurst, which takes almost 90 minutes to travel to by car, or in Penrith which is almost a two-hour drive.
But those who cannot drive or take public transport, the only other option is online banking, which isn’t as easy for some older residents.
‘I’ve spent my whole life working with my hands. I can make anything,’ said local resident, Michael.
‘(But) you think I can operate that phone? I can’t even turn on the computer.’
A statement from ANZ confirmed that transactions at its branches nationally ‘have halved over the past five years’.
‘Today just one per cent of all transactions are done over-the-counter and almost four million customers use out mobile banking App,’ the statement read.
‘Since we announced the closure of the branch earlier this year we have been working with our Katoomba branch customers to ensure they are well supported and aware of all the ways they can complete their banking, including using nearby branches, local ATMs, phone banking, or our team of community-based bankers, like mobile lenders.
‘In June 2024, ANZ confirmed that we will maintain our regional branch numbers throughout Australia for three years.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Commonwealth Bank for comment.
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