The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has been called to reconsider closing its Drysdale branch – a decision slammed by Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker as “disrespectful of customers.”
Coker said the news was a bitter blow for the people of Drysdale just a few months after NAB closed its Drysdale branch.
“I’m very disappointed to hear news of a second bank in Drysdale closing – customers clearly come second to profits for the big banks,” Coker told Geelong Independent. “The Drysdale CBA is an important branch for many in that community. The closure will particularly impact the elderly, and those who are less skilled at online technologies. There are times people need to go into a branch for personal assistance. Many local businesses will still want to continue doing their weekly or daily banking in Drysdale. To announce that the Drysdale branch will now become part of the Ocean Grove Branch is not only impractical, it’s insulting. I am also concerned about the future of the staff.”
David Castle, CBA regional manager, said the closure, set on Sept. 9, was a “difficult decision.”
“This branch has had transactions drop by a third over the five years before the coronavirus pandemic,” Castle said.
Staff from the Drysdale branch will be offered redeployment opportunities, the CBA leader said.
“We recognise some senior customers prefer to do their banking face-to-face and this is one of the reasons why CBA is proud to maintain the largest branch network in the country,” Castle told Geelong Independent. “We’ve ensured customers who prefer over-the-counter service still have access to this option. For Drysdale customers, we have other branches in the region at Ocean Grove, Geelong, Geelong West, and Belmont. We’ve found a quarter of customers from Drysdale are already visiting these other branches.”
