By Mikayla van Loon
A bank branch will shut its doors in Lilydale come the middle of June and another will move suburbs after a wave of closures throughout the local area.
ANZ sent out notifications to customers at the beginning of May informing them of the imminent closure on 19 June at 4pm.
The Lilydale Marketplace branch will be the fourth bank to shutdown face-to-face operations in Lilydale, Mooroolbark and Chirnside Park over the last two years.
The National Australia Bank (NAB) has also confirmed the Marketplace shopfront will close on 23 May, with a new location at Chirnside Park Shopping Centre opening 29 May.
This has been noted as a positive change for the big four bank to cater better to its customers.
“We’re thrilled to be investing $1 million in upgrading our banking facilities with our Lilydale branch relocating to a new, modern branch just down Maroondah Highway at the Chirnside Park Shopping Centre,” NAB metro east retail customer executive Marcus Middleton said.
“The new space at the Chirnside Park Shopping Centre will better serve customers from all across the outer east with a modern open plan design, new meeting rooms equipped with video technology and self-service tools so customers can learn how to get the most out of their internet banking.”
As seen across the state and the country, bank branch closures are not a new phenomenon with the ANZ too claiming the push for digital was a driving force behind the decision to close.
“Australians are adopting digital methods as their preferred way to bank, with around 99 per cent of ANZ customer transactions conducted digitally or via an ATM,” ANZ District Manager Paul Groves said.
It is understood that in-person transactions have halved across the ANZ’s branches nationally in the last five years, with just one per cent of banking done over the counter.
Eastland’s ANZ branch will be the closest front facing location for customers to access if needed.
“We are working closely with our customers to ensure they are well supported and aware of all the ways they can complete their banking,” Mr Groves said.
“Customers can continue to bank via the ANZ App, Internet Banking and Phone Banking. We also have a team of community-based bankers, such as mobile lenders, who meet with our customers to discuss their banking needs at a location that best suits them.”
ANZ is one of the only major banks in Australia to not have a deal with Australia Post’s bank@post service which allows customers to conduct everyday transactions like withdrawals and deposits via a local post office.
The Star Mail understands that a shift in Australia Post’s services, away from letter posting, has meant the demand for banking services, since the closure of bank branches, has been a positive transition for its over the counter services.
With elderly residents making up the majority of people using face to face branches and post offices, comments on social media have left others concerned about the impact on this cohort.
“They still deal in cash, use post offices to pay bills, shop in their local shops, if they can’t drive they have caregivers to drive them about to do all their things, with smaller areas, towns closing banks they have to travel further and their packages are limited to times/travel,” one person said.
“I think it is irresponsible. Have they considered the aging population who depend on manual/face to face banking,” another person said.
Others weren’t so surprised, nor cared, stating they couldn’t remember the last time they went into a bank.
Calls for a return to a cash based society were also made, with people speaking of the rate of scams and breaches.
Mr Groves said access to 2,600 fee-free ATMs from both ANZ and atmx, as well as some operated by other major banks, would assist Lilydale’s customers.
“Customers can also withdraw money using EFTPOS facilities at the Woolworths and Coles supermarket in Lilydale,” he said.
