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Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced he secured commitments from CBA, ANZ, NAB, and Westpac to extend the moratorium on branch closures until mid-2027.
“The Albanese government has secured commitments from the banks to ensure banking services remain available in the regions. Banks have a responsibility to regional communities and we’re holding them to it. We are making sure bank branches stay open in the bush,” Chalmers said.
“Since 2017, 36 per cent of bank branches in regional Australia have closed and we are taking action to arrest this decline in regional banking services. The Albanese government governs for the whole country and we take our responsibilities to the regions seriously. We are standing up for regional Australians, helping to secure the banking services they need and deserve. More than banking, this is about keeping regional communities that contribute so much to our national economy, connected and thriving.”
Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh welcomed the news: “This is a major commitment to keep regional branches open and available to customers. Banks are ensuring Australians can continue to access high-quality banking services no matter where they live.
“While Australians continue to shift to digital banking and payment platforms, banks recognise some customers still prefer face-to-face services. This is a major commitment to make sure regional customers can continue to visit a branch and access services if they wish to do so.”
Also achieved was support for Bank@Post, an initiative run by Australia Post, described as “access to over 80 banks and financial institutions, including our key partners CommBank, Westpac and NAB, you’ll find it easy to manage your money locally”.
“You or your small business can deposit cash and cheques, withdraw money and make balance enquiries for free at participating post offices, including more than 1,800 in rural and remote locations,” Australia Post said.
Bligh added: “We also trust this increased investment in Bank@Post will contribute to the sustainability of these services for those Australians who wish to continue to use them. Our industry will continue to work with the government to ensure banking services continue to meet the needs of customers across regional Australia.”
ANZ has recently entered into the arrangement and will offer Bank@Post services from 1 October 2025.
Katherine Bray, ANZ’s managing director, retail banking, said: “We recognise there has been a lot of community discussion about the presence of branches in regional areas and the agreement with Australia Post will ensure further access to face-to-face services for our customers, particularly in these areas.”
NAB has shown increased commitment to branches with the decision to open more branches on Saturday
“While digital banking continues to evolve, we firmly believe that face-to-face banking services remain essential for many Australians,” group executive for personal banking Ana Marinkovic said.
“Our recent move to Saturday branch openings demonstrates our conviction that while digital is foundational, a human touch is just as important in the moments that matter for our customers.”
Meanwhile, CBA has announced it will be investing $100 million into upgrading its branches and ATM fleet.
Westpac CEO Anthony Miller said this decision was important for supporting consumer choice: “[The] announcement from the Treasurer will see all major banks join Westpac with similar measures providing assurance that local banking services will remain in these communities until mid-2027.
“More customers are choosing to do their banking digitally and we’ve made significant investment in our branch network and digital banking capabilities to accommodate this shift in preference,” Miller said.
“Through our community engagement program, we know that face-to-face service still plays an important role for many of our customers, and we are continuing to look at how we can best support Aussies in the bush.”
