Statewide bank branch closure triggers outrage: 'This is an outrageous decision'

A recent announcement by the Commonwealth Bank has sparked a wave of criticism and concern, particularly from a group of financial industry workers.

The decision, which is set to affect 350 staff members, has been labelled as 'disgraceful' and an abandonment of the bank's customer base, especially those in regional and remote areas.



The bank's justification for the mass closure of all 60 Bankwest branches in Western Australia is the shift towards digital banking, as Bankwest Personal Banking Manager Scott Spittles cited that 97 per cent of transactions are now conducted online.

'As part of Bankwest's transition to a digital bank, we will no longer operate a physical branch footprint,' Spittles explained.


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Bankwest is set to close all of its 60 branches in Western Australia. Image source: Shutterstock.


However, Finance Sector Union (FSU) President Wendy Streets and other union representatives argued that the move is a betrayal of the bank's customers.

'This is a bank that makes in excess of $10 billion profit annually,' she pointed out.

'They can afford to keep banking in regional Australia.'



Streets highlighted the challenges faced by customers outside of urban centres ahead of the widespread shutdown.

'Once you get out of cities, connectivity is a real issue…even if they've got the equipment and they know how to do (online banking), which in lots of cases they don't, the actual connectivity is an issue.'

'So, you know, we've heard stories through the banking inquiry into the closure of regional and remote branches of people having to do their banking at midnight and 1 am.'

The FSU's National Assistant Secretary, Jason Hall, emphasised the impact on these groups, stating, 'This is an outrageous decision by Bankwest, which has completely abandoned its customer base in order to cut costs and become a digital bank.'

'A range of Bankwest customers will be badly affected including the most vulnerable in our community.'

'Worst affected will be the elderly, First Nations customers, people whose first language is not English, and others who are not computer literate.'

'Maintaining a branch network costs money. But surely keeping faith with a loyal customer base is an important principle when those same customers and the banking fees they pay, have been at the core of Bankwest's profitability for many years.'



Bank bosses also reiterated that the closures could be the last straw for some of its clientele.

'I hope to keep every single one of our customers,' Spittles said.

'I absolutely respect, though, that some may see a physical branch experience as really critical to them.'

The closure will happen in phases, with the busiest branches the first to be shut down.

The exact schedule of the closures will be finalised in the coming weeks.



This news comes after the Commonwealth Bank announced the closure of three more branches across the country.

Similarly, the bank explained that this decision is a response to a progressive decline in customer demand at the affected branches.

The branches in Coogee, New South Wales, Coolangatta, Queensland, and Adelaide’s Rundle Mall in South Australia closed their doors permanently last 1 March.

You can read more about this here.
Key Takeaways
  • Bankwest, Western Australia's oldest bank, is set on closing all 60 of its branches by the end of 2024 as it transitions to a digital-only operation.
  • The closure will impact 350 staff members.
  • The Finance Sector Union criticised the move for abandoning Bankwest's customer base.
  • Concerns about the impact on customers, particularly older Australians and those in regional areas have been raised.
Are you a Bankwest customer affected by these closures? Let us know your thoughts about this latest news below.
 
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I'm a Senior Pensioner. I live in Melbourne and, am not a Bankwest Customer, BUT this is wrong for many reasons. Shame on Bankwest management for this outrageous and GREEDY decision.
 
Not everyone can do banking on line. Our senior generation who still need help with banking and need personal help when they go into a branch. Where do they go? When the communication system brakes down we are all stuffed anyway.
They want to stress out the elderly so that it leads an untimely death...., and then they can go hell for leather.... the younger generation has been brainwashed..... not to mention the increase in surveillance and intrusion of privacy.... the government can turn off your access to your funds at the drop of a hat if you 'TOW THE LINE' or if you don't follow their rules.
case in question.
 
I have been charged to withdraw cash at PO,my bank closed it's atm but it now has a agency that opens everyday
Luckily I only make deposits at the post office, I have enough COH to see me through.
 
I think it’s disgusting. The government should be stepiping in to stop this. This bank should be made to be responsible if any account is hacked and people lose their money and give them all their money back without any questions.
This is going to far and everyone should leave the Bankwest and open accounts with the financial institutions.
 
Open letter to the Conmanwealth Bank if you force us online you do know that your protected status in Australia is lost to you and it opens you to international competition. Will the Government have to change how Pension payments are made?
 
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I'm a bankwest customer (for many many years)
What frustrates me, you go in there and the teller queue is quite long, so you use the ATM, and then statistically, you never visited the branch, and therefore its not worth keeping the branch open. 🤷‍♂️
 
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Open letter to the Conmanwealth Bank if you force us online you do know that your protected status in Australia is lost to you and it opens you to international competition. Will the Government have to change how Pension payments are made?
You bet they will.... watch this space..... it reminds me of the frog boiled in water... slowly. slowly catchhee monkey as the old Chinese say.....
 
This makes me so angry. Ok they have closed branches but please can someone explain how do I get cash for my Bingo nights and the markets on the weekend.
Bingo nights will become digital..... as will everything else.
 
Where do they go? To the post Office, a facility that has been available for decades. They are the people who have very simple banking needs, all they want to do is withdraw cash, the PO does this free of charge.
You are limited on the amount you can withdraw from the PO. If the bank closes down in a relatively medium sized town, can you imagine all that banks' customers withdrawing from the PO. And again, the business operators need to deposit cash. If they all deposit cash into the PO, it presents a problem of the PO getting the cash to their bank. Do they further rely on Armaguard or equivalent? What about medium sized remote towns like Alice Springs, Kununurra, Katherine etc.
Unfortunately, not all PO's can operate like banks.
 
You are limited on the amount you can withdraw from the PO. If the bank closes down in a relatively medium sized town, can you imagine all that banks' customers withdrawing from the PO. And again, the business operators need to deposit cash. If they all deposit cash into the PO, it presents a problem of the PO getting the cash to their bank. Do they further rely on Armaguard or equivalent? What about medium sized remote towns like Alice Springs, Kununurra, Katherine etc.
Unfortunately, not all PO's can operate like banks.
Ha ha ha..... they have bitten off more than they can chew..... watch the number of armed robberies in Post Offices..... the security is non-existent... just saying...
 
Greed is not good. I hope there is a mass exodus of customers.
Eventually, every bank will be the same.... cashless society.. card only and they will put a charge on each and every transaction.... and there will be nothing you can do... watch this space
 
It would make sense for the CBA to open a couple of Bank West counters in some of the CBA branches. It would save them money and still provide the customer service.
Maybe that is going to happen and this article just didn't say it.
Westpac did that with St George in my home town and it seems to be working well.
 
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Where do they go? To the post Office, a facility that has been available for decades. They are the people who have very simple banking needs, all they want to do is withdraw cash, the PO does this free of charge.
P O's don't update passbooks. My mum is 100 and has one. Too old now to start changing accounts.
 
Every one who has an acc with the Commonwealth Bank needs to get up off their arses and change banks no matter where you live in Australia... We have to show them we mean business
 

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