Premier unveils new community bank

25/3/01
Premier Dr Geoff Gallop today officially opened the seventh community bank branch of Bendigo Bank to open in Western Australia.
The newest community bank is located in the inner-city suburb of North Perth, located at 431 Fitzgerald Street.
Dr Gallop said that the opening of the new bank sent a clear signal to the big banks that local communities would not stand by and watch their banking services disappear.
"The real message in today's opening of the North Perth community bank is that if cost cutting by the banks comes at the expense of service delivery, consumers will simply develop alternatives," he said.
"Local communities have been forgotten in the banks' drive for increased efficiencies and reductions in costs."
The Premier said it was vital that local communities had access to banking services - just as they required access to schools, health services and shops.
"There are a number of benefits to community banks," he said.
"They provide communities with certainty of banking services and enable communities to bank the way they wanted - whether that is face-to-face, electronically or over the phone.
"Most importantly, the profits from the bank remain in the community for local investment."
Dr Gallop said there were now more than 30 community banks across Australia.
The other six community banks to open in Western Australia are in Cranbrook, Goomalling, Kulin, Tambellup, Toodyay and Bayswater.

Media contact: Kieran Murphy 9222 9429