Letter to ‘Mr Bean’ exposes shocking closure of BankSA branch
- Replies 13
In the picturesque coastal town of Kingston, South Australia, a storm of discontent was stirred by the impending closure of a major bank branch.
The controversy was further fuelled by an email from the bank to the local council, addressed to a 'Mr Bean'.
The only problem? There is no Mr Bean at the council chambers.
The blunder was revealed in a letter penned by Kingston District Council’s then-Chief Executive, Nat Traeger, to the parliamentary inquiry examining bank closures in rural Australia last year.
'We certainly have no Mr Bean working here,' Traeger wrote.
'The fact that they couldn’t even get the salutation to such an important item of correspondence correct speaks volumes about the bank closure process.'
The manner in which banks inform towns about impending closures has been a contentious issue in the long-running inquiry.
Evidence suggested a lack of direct consultation and notices sent to generic council emails.
During a council-run workshop on the closure process, Kingston residents expressed feelings of being 'undervalued', 'dismissed' and ‘angry, powerless, and voiceless in the decision'.
The Senate committee convened in Kingston on Wednesday, 21 February, to continue gathering evidence on how the rapid closure of banks has impacted communities and local economies.
According to data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, nearly 800 country branches have shut their doors across the nation since June 2017.
Major banks have been accused of abandoning their customers following continued branch closures across the country.
In early February, NAB announced plans to close 13 branches for 2024, while Bankwest will shut down two more.
Twenty-three Westpac branches across Australia closed in 2023.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) has closed 403 branches over the past decade. Of this figure, 17 were closed in 2023.
Major banks have justified these closures to the Senate committee by citing the rapid adoption of online banking, along with a decline in cash transactions and foot traffic, as reasons for many branches no longer being viable.
The South Australian hearing heard testimonies on how these closures have forced rural residents to travel hundreds of kilometres to manage their finances, strained small businesses, and further marginalised vulnerable individuals.
BankSA, part of the Westpac group, has temporarily halted the closure of its Kingston branch.
Ian Hart, the current chief executive of Kingston District Council, expresses dismay and disbelief at the decision.
'I can’t believe that a community like Kingston is losing them that much money, they feel they can’t support it,' Hart said.
'What is the social contract between the bank and the community they’re serving?'
The Murray River town of Mannum experienced the closure of its last bank, a BankSA branch, and an ATM just as floods hit in December 2022.
Resident Cathy Clemow spearheaded 'Bank 4 Mannum', mobilising the community to vocalise the challenges they faced post-closure—from business owners forced to leave shops unattended to execute banking tasks to the daily battle with unreliable internet, impeding the transition to online banking solutions.
'BankSA deserted Mannum when it was struggling the most,' Clemow wrote in her submission.
Several submissions highlighted that elderly and vulnerable people were disadvantaged after a bank closed because they weren’t capable of using digital services or couldn’t afford internet access.
A study led by RMIT University found regional bank closures removed face-to-face services in areas where there was the highest need.
The inquiry is scheduled to report back to parliament in May.
What are your thoughts on this issue, dear readers? Have you been affected by a bank closure in your area? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
The controversy was further fuelled by an email from the bank to the local council, addressed to a 'Mr Bean'.
The only problem? There is no Mr Bean at the council chambers.
The blunder was revealed in a letter penned by Kingston District Council’s then-Chief Executive, Nat Traeger, to the parliamentary inquiry examining bank closures in rural Australia last year.
'We certainly have no Mr Bean working here,' Traeger wrote.
'The fact that they couldn’t even get the salutation to such an important item of correspondence correct speaks volumes about the bank closure process.'
Another major bank closed its doors, prompting Kingston locals to write an email to the council addressed to ‘Mr Bean’. Credit: Unsplash
The manner in which banks inform towns about impending closures has been a contentious issue in the long-running inquiry.
Evidence suggested a lack of direct consultation and notices sent to generic council emails.
During a council-run workshop on the closure process, Kingston residents expressed feelings of being 'undervalued', 'dismissed' and ‘angry, powerless, and voiceless in the decision'.
The Senate committee convened in Kingston on Wednesday, 21 February, to continue gathering evidence on how the rapid closure of banks has impacted communities and local economies.
According to data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, nearly 800 country branches have shut their doors across the nation since June 2017.
Major banks have been accused of abandoning their customers following continued branch closures across the country.
In early February, NAB announced plans to close 13 branches for 2024, while Bankwest will shut down two more.
Twenty-three Westpac branches across Australia closed in 2023.
Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) has closed 403 branches over the past decade. Of this figure, 17 were closed in 2023.
Major banks have justified these closures to the Senate committee by citing the rapid adoption of online banking, along with a decline in cash transactions and foot traffic, as reasons for many branches no longer being viable.
The South Australian hearing heard testimonies on how these closures have forced rural residents to travel hundreds of kilometres to manage their finances, strained small businesses, and further marginalised vulnerable individuals.
BankSA, part of the Westpac group, has temporarily halted the closure of its Kingston branch.
Ian Hart, the current chief executive of Kingston District Council, expresses dismay and disbelief at the decision.
'I can’t believe that a community like Kingston is losing them that much money, they feel they can’t support it,' Hart said.
'What is the social contract between the bank and the community they’re serving?'
The Murray River town of Mannum experienced the closure of its last bank, a BankSA branch, and an ATM just as floods hit in December 2022.
Resident Cathy Clemow spearheaded 'Bank 4 Mannum', mobilising the community to vocalise the challenges they faced post-closure—from business owners forced to leave shops unattended to execute banking tasks to the daily battle with unreliable internet, impeding the transition to online banking solutions.
'BankSA deserted Mannum when it was struggling the most,' Clemow wrote in her submission.
Several submissions highlighted that elderly and vulnerable people were disadvantaged after a bank closed because they weren’t capable of using digital services or couldn’t afford internet access.
A study led by RMIT University found regional bank closures removed face-to-face services in areas where there was the highest need.
The inquiry is scheduled to report back to parliament in May.
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