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
We write on behalf of the undersigned Alliance of Industry Associations to raise a growing concern aboutgovernment’s inadequate consultation on recent complex legislative and regulatory reforms. We represent 30groups from across the economy including small, medium and large businesses, farmers, builders, retailers,universities and tax and accounting professionals. Our organisations support genuine and timely consultation as… Read more »
The ABA welcomes the release of the Federal Government’s response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services’ inquiry into financial abuse, released today. ABA CEO Simon Birmingham acknowledged the important work of the committee as well as the Government’s response and said banks were committed to protecting customers from the scourge of… Read more »
E&OERadio InterviewInterview ABC Statewide Drive Victoria9 October 2026 Topics: Regional banking Jane Nield: Well, do you still have a bank branch in your local area? If you’re one of the more than 600 regional locations nationwide that have lost a bank in the last few years, did it have a big impact? So often, it… Read more »