'Outrageous disregard': Anger as ANZ prepares to shut local branch
A decision to close an ANZ branch in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales has outraged some locals, with an online petition launched to keep the bank open.
“We live in Mount Victoria, and if the Katoomba branch closes, we face a 1.5-hour drive either east or west to reach the nearest ANZ branch,” the petition reads.
“This is not just an inconvenience; it’s an outrageous disregard for customers from a bank that reaps significant profits.”
So far, the petition has gathered 131 signatures out of a goal of 200.
The Katoomba ANZ branch will shut its doors on October 23 this year, at 1.30pm.
Those in Penrith and Bathurst will remain open.
“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 Rohini Agnihotri said.
“We are working closely with our customers to ensure they are well supported and aware of all the ways they can complete their banking.”
He pointed customers to the ANZ App, internet banking, and phone banking as replacement options.
“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,” Agnihotri said.
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