NSW Farmers have praised a commitment by banks to maintain regional services.

This follows news from the Australian Banking Association (ABA) to extend a moratorium on the closure of regional branches until mid-2027.

The ABA have also secured the availability of services at Bank@Post, in a move which has seen CBA, NAB and Westpac all reach new in-principle agreements.

Negotiations between Australia Post and ANZ have also reached an advanced stage, with key terms agreed which would see ANZ customers able to use Bank@Post services from 1 October 2025.

Meanwhile Macquarie and HSBC will also start negotiations with Australia Post on Bank@Post services.

ABA CEO Anna Bligh said the industry remained strongly committed to meeting the needs of customers in the bush.

“This is a major commitment to keep regional branches open and available to customers,” Ms Bligh said.

“Banks are ensuring Australians can continue to access high-quality banking services no matter where they live.

“While Australians continue to shift to digital banking and payment platforms, banks recognise some customers still prefer face-to-face services.

“This is a major commitment to make sure regional customers can continue to visit a branch and access services if they wish to do so," she said.

NSW Farmers Business Economics and Trade Committee Chair John Lowe (below) said the lobby group had been calling on the banks to maintain their services in towns across rural, regional and remote Australia, and it’s good to see these calls heard.

“Having in-person, accessible bank services in the regions is critical to ensuring farm businesses have the tools they need to be productive and profitable.

“Our banks are key to the business of producing food and fibre, but we cannot rely on online banking services alone when our mobile connectivity is just not up to the task.

“While we look forward to unpacking the full details of this initiative, it’s certainly good to see our Federal Government commit to keeping our regional bank branches open and servicing their regional customers as they need to be.”

Greater reliance on Australia Post

While the experience of regional and remote banking has been shifting towards the creation of a one-stop-shop for banking, bill payment and postage, this week’s announcement confirms the bush post office as a central hub in the regions.

While local Australia Post outlets may be geared up to meet the day-to-day personal banking needs of their communities, there are unanswered questions around whether they will have the capacity to meet the cash requirements of major events or businesses like licencsed club, or be able to offer a wide enough range of services to properly support local businesses.

The ABA is focusing on the retention of banking services and promoting the potential of bush post offices.

“This increased investment in Bank@Post will contribute to the sustainability of these services for those Australians who wish to continue to use them,” Ms Bligh said.

“Our industry will continue to work with the Government to ensure banking services continue to meet the needs of customers across regional Australia.”

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