Thirroul bank closures frustrate residents as Gerringong welcomes local option

The last of the big four to close was the Commonwealth Bank branch on Lawrence Hargrave Drive which, after closing temporarily during the COVID-19 shutdowns, decided to close for good on June 23.

The news followed the closure of the ANZ branch in 2017.

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In announcing the reason for their closure, both banks cited the decline in in-person transactions.

But for residents and businesses in the northern suburbs, there are times when having a local branch of the big four is essential.

A local resident who did not wish to be named said he has to travel to Corrimal or Sutherland to deposit cash.

"It's not very often, but when I do have extra cash, I want to bank it," he said.

The resident also said there are times where just having an ATM, as ANZ does in Thirroul, is not enough.

"I recently bought a motor scooter [in cash], and I had to withdraw that amount at a branch," he said.

The resident said in lieu of a branch, a smart ATM where users can deposit cash would be a convenient alternative.

Not having a local branch also redirects patronage away from businesses in the Thirroul town centre.

Dave Hoade, who owns the IGA in Thirroul, said he has noticed regular customers travelling to Corrimal and Fairy Meadow to do their shopping after branches in Thirroul closed.

"Customers that would have come to our store to do their shopping and then do their banking, they have to go to Corrimal or Figtree," he said.

"When they use services in the middle of town, they generally try and do as much as they can while they're there."

While the big four may have moved on, other banks have remained.

Both IMB Bank and Horizon Bank operate staffed branches in Thirroul and Horizon recently celebrated 20 years in the community.

"We opened the branch there in 2002 when one of the majors moved out," Horizon CEO Jon Stanfield said.

"We're committed to maintaining a branch presence in Thirroul."

At the other end of the Illawarra, a town that was without a bank recently saw a branch open after a community-led campaign.

Bendigo Bank Gerringong opened on March 8 and the new shopfront is a branch of the Bendigo Bank in Oak Flats, operated by Oak Flats Financial Services.

The last time the town had a bank was in 2018, and ahead of the closure a local committee was set up to find a replacement.

Geoff Egan, chairman of Oak Flats Financial Services, said the chosen replacement's community banking model meant that the profits from the community's funds would benefit the local area.

"Community bank profits are reinvested back into local communities in the form of donations, grants and sponsorships and in some cases, they have fully funded or provided seed funding for major projects worth millions of dollars," Mr Egan said.

The Thirroul resident said he was starting to consider switching to a bank with a local branch, but the hassle of switching banks had held him back.

"I'd certainly have a look at it but I'm a creature of habit."

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