People are really upset with Bendigo Bank as it is closing several branches in regional Australia, which means that people will have fewer options for in-person banking. Queenstown in Tasmania is one of the most affected areas. The bank will be closing its last branch there. This choice has upset people in the area, including Janet Lay, a 47-year-old carer and long-time Bendigo Bank customer. In this blog, we talk about why the bank is closing, how the community is reacting, and what this means for customers who depend on the bank’s services.
Bendigo Bank’s Choice to Shut Down Branches
Bendigo Bank recently disclosed that it would be closing several branches, including the Queenstown branch in Tasmania, which is set to close on September 26, 2025. This has left people in the area feeling abandoned. The Malop Street branch in Geelong, Victoria, will also close on August 1, 2025.
The closures are part of a bigger trend in banking, where more people are choosing to do their banking online instead of in person. Bendigo Bank said that the main reasons for the closures were “changing customer preferences,” “less business activity,” and “higher costs.” The bank has promised its customers that it will continue to support communities in the area, but these changes are seen as a blow to people who require to use in-person services.
What Happened to Queenstown – The Community Can’t Believe It
After Bendigo Bank shuts its branch, Queenstown, a small town on Tasmania’s West Coast, will not have any physical banks. People who prefer to bank in person are very concerned with this closure because it will force them to drive two hours to the nearest Bendigo Bank branch in Burnie.
Janet Lay, a long-time customer of Bendigo Bank, is angry that the Queenstown branch is narrowing and has started a Change.org petition to keep it open. Lay said she was speechless it because she had been told many times that the bank would stay open even though its hours had been cut back recently.
Lay, who prefers in-person banking, believes that face-to-face transactions offer more control over her finances and a better experience than online banking. She also worried about how the closure would affect older people in the community, like her mother, who has always relied on face-to-face banking and lacks confidence in or understand online banking.
The effects of the closure on the economy and society
The closure of the Queenstown branch represents more than just a banking inconvenience – it significantly impacts the local economy. Queenstown’s only functional ATM is located outside the Railway Supermarket, and it charges fees. Residents will no longer be able to easily and without paying fees withdraw cash since the bank branch closes.
Queenstown’s local markets, which depend on cash transactions, will also be hurt. Janet Lay talked about how hard it is for businesses and community groups that need cash to get it, since Australia Post’s Bank@Post services can’t fully replace what a regular bank branch does.
Bendigo Bank’s Answer to the Backlash
Bendigo Bank CEO Richard Fennell said that closing branches was always a last resort in response to the backlash. He also said that the closures were frustrating for customers. Fennell said, “To keep what makes our bank special, we need to find a balance among getting a physical presence and keeping up with the changing needs of our 2.7 million customers.”
The bank has said sorry for the trouble caused by the closures and told customers that they can still access their accounts at other branches, ATMs, and online banking. Also, affected customers can use Bank@Post services at their local Australia Post store. This lets them do basic banking tasks like making deposits and withdrawals, but there are limits.
Bendigo Bank’s Regional Heritage and the Growing Trend of Branch Closures
For a long time, Bendigo Bank has been known for its regional heritage and many branches in small towns. But as more and more customers rely on digital banking, the bank feels the need to change how it does business to meet modern needs. Richard Fennell said that the bank is trying to keep a balance between its physical presence and its digital services by closing branches like the one in Queenstown.
Bendigo Bank reaffirmed its commitment to regional communities even though some branches had to close. The bank runs Australia’s second-largest regional branch network. The bank is still focused on meeting customer needs in other ways, such as through digital banking options and services offered at nearby branches.
Information about Bendigo Bank’s Queenstown Branch
According to internal data, the Queenstown Bendigo Bank branch has seen a drop in cash withdrawals over the past few years. The branch had 141 cash withdrawals in 2021, but by 2025, that number had dropped to 61. Even though this number went down, the branch still had 308 personal banking customers who came in three or more times a year from May 2024 to April 2025. The branch also had 66 business banking customers who came to the branch a lot.
Cash deposits at the Queenstown branch, on the other hand, rose from 2,433 in 2025 to a peak of 2,726 in 2024. This shows that people still want to do business in person, even though more and more people are using digital banking.
The Community’s Request for Other Options
Many people are upset about the closure, but Janet Lay has suggested that Bendigo Bank should think about cutting back on the hours of the Queenstown branch instead of closing it completely. Lay suggested that the branch could open once a week or on Saturdays for people who work during the week. This plan would let people in the area keep banking in person without having to drive a long way.
In conclusion, there is a growing gap between regional and digital banking.
The fact that Bendigo Bank is closing branches like the one in Queenstown shows how much the gap is growing between regional banking and the digital banking era. Banks are changing to meet the needs of customers who are moving to online services. But for small towns like Queenstown, the closing of the local branch means losing an important community resource. Many people will have to deal with the problems of digital banking and the hassle of travelling long distances.
Bendigo Bank has promised to help its customers in other ways, but closing branches in small towns raises important questions about how banks can keep meeting the needs of their loyal, long-term customers in rural and remote areas.
