Skip to main content
Financial Assistance Hub

ABA ready to assist Regional Banking Taskforce

22 October 2021

The Australian Banking Association (ABA) stands ready to assist the newly established Regional Banking Taskforce.

For more than 200 years, banks in Australia have provided essential services to customers across the country, and that commitment continues today.

As more Australians prefer to do their banking online, banks are investing in new digital services to meet their needs.

Anna Bligh, Chief Executive Officer at the ABA, said the banking industry continues to provide banking support for regional and rural communities in Australia.

“Australian banks remain committed to providing banking services to every Australian, especially those in regional and remote areas,” Ms Bligh said.

“Despite more than 80 per cent of Australians preferring to do their everyday banking online, banks still have thousands of branches across the country, in addition to the banking services that banks pay to make available in 3500 Australia Post outlets.”

“Recent APRA data shows that the overwhelming majority of bank branch closures in the past year have been in major cities, and not in regional areas.”

Australian banks remain committed to providing banking services to every Australian, especially those in regional and remote areas,”

ABA CEO Anna Bligh

Where branches are closed, it’s because customers no longer need to do their banking face to face.

“As the world we live in continues to become more digitalised, the way customers want to do their banking is following the same trend,” Ms Bligh said.

“Banking online platforms and apps are so incredibly advanced these days, most Australians are carrying around a bank branch in their pockets.”

“The ABA will work with the Regional Banking Taskforce to highlight the improvements in bank services to all Australians, especially those in regional areas.”

Latest news

1 / 3
New data shows record number of Australians refinancing their home loan
11 February 2026

Over 640 000 homeowners refinanced their mortgage last year, according to new data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. New lending indicators data shows 640 137 mortgages were refinanced throughout 2025, a 20 per cent jump from the previous year as more borrowers than ever before renegotiated or switched their home loans. ABA… Read more »

Read more
Transcript
ABA CEO Simon Birmingham on Romance Scams: ABC Canberra interview transcript
9 February 2026

E&OERadio InterviewABC Radio Canberra9 February 2026. Topics: Romance scams; Scam Prevention Framework Emma Bickley (Host): You’re listening to afternoons on ABC Radio Canberra. I’m Emma Bickley, and my guest today is Simon Birmingham. He’s the CEO of the Australian Banking Association, and in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, they’re warning you that romance scams… Read more »

Read more
Media Releases
Fake love, real losses, banks warn of surge in AI romance scams ahead of Valentine’s Day
9 February 2026

With Valentine’s Day approaching, banks are warning people to be on high alert for romance scams as criminals increasingly deploy AI to steal more than just your heart. AI romance scam red flags: ABA CEO Simon Birmingham said further advances in AI were making it incredibly difficult for people to distinguish between a romance scam… Read more »

Read more