Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In this modern day and age, it's easy to forget the heavy reliance many in our community place on bricks and mortar bank branches. The fact is that conducting bank business over the internet is difficult for some of our citizens, technology may not always be available and there will be fears about the safety of electronic payments, and those shouldn't be sneered at. There is the simple convenience and the reassuring face-to-face contact at a branch which are a big deal for a large number of customers. That's an undeniable fact.

It was recently brought to the fore in the electorate that I am proud to represent, Chifley, with the amazing announcement that the Commonwealth Bank is planning to close its Doonside branch. This move has attracted much local concern, leading to a united call from our community for the bank to reverse its decision. In my capacity as the member for Chifley, I was asked to relay these concerns directly to the senior management of the Commonwealth Bank. I emphasised that closing the branch will have very negative consequences for the people who can least afford it. Senior citizens, pensioners in particular, have a heavy reliance on the face-to-face banking that's provided, and there's an understandable unwillingness to give up the standards of customer service that they are accustomed to and, frankly, have paid for.

Additionally, the branch at Doonside affords many small-business owners a safe and convenient way to conduct their cash banking on which they have come to rely. The closure of the Doonside branch will mean a trip to the bank will take longer and impact unfairly on loyal CBA customers who are already dealing with rising expenses. If the closure goes ahead, they'll be forced to travel to branches in Blacktown, Mount Druitt and Plumpton to conduct passbook transactions and the like that are currently available in Doonside. These same customers—pensioners, older citizen, small- business operators—are on fixed or limited incomes, with little or no capacity to absorb extra costs. While, of course, it's necessary for any business to review its operations, I've impressed on the Commonwealth Bank the need to be conscious of the bank's universal service obligations and reminded them of the impossible situation in which the decision is placing many in our community.

I've followed this up with written representations to the bank, asking them for an urgent discussion of these issues, and I'm calling on them to defer, at the very least, until such time as myself or the community has had a chance to discuss the impact of this closure face-to-face with the Commonwealth Bank. On behalf of my community, I am insisting on a commitment by the bank to ensure maintenance of customer service standards, especially for older customers. Banks have a responsibility to engage with customers in a way that customers feel comfortable with. For many, of course, that will be by digital means; for others, it's face-to-face. They've got a right to expect that wish will be respected and facilitated in a way that doesn't impose costs on those who cannot afford them.

Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.