National Australia Bank set to leave Waroona without a bank after announcing decision to close local branch

Waroona is set to become the latest regional town to lose its only bank branch, in a move which has left the council fuming and threatening to withdraw its funds.

The National Australia Bank last week announced it will close its South Western Highway branch on November 17, forcing customers to travel at least 46km to the Mandurah branch for their banking needs.

It is also set to remove its 24-hour ATM from the town.

NAB retail customer executive Kylie Sanders said the decision to close a branch was never easy but stated there was a declining number of customers visiting.

“The local team will be helping customers who need additional support with digital banking and also introducing them to their local Bank@Post service at Australia Post down the road on Millar Street,” she said.

“There will be no job losses as part of this change — our branch team will be provided new opportunities across NAB.”

It is understood branch staff were only informed of the decision in the week before the public announcement, while Shire president Mike Walmsley, Canning MHR Andrew Hastie and Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke were told the day before.

If implemented, the bank closure would leave Harvey’s Westpac branch and Pinjarra’s Bendigo Bank branch as the nearest banking options for residents in the Shire of Waroona.

Cr Walmsley said it was “really disappointing” to be losing a vital service to the community.

“Most people are really horrified that it leaves our town with a without a banking presence from someone,” he said.

“The council is going to be as proactive as we can to try and get them to change their decision.”

NAB’s own data shows nearly 40 per cent of customers who use the Waroona branch are not registered for online or telephone banking, or they do not actively use those services.

Seven per cent of customers rely on branch-only banking.

In response to questioning about the closure, a NAB spokesperson said it had assessed the behaviour of the branch’s customers before making its decision.

“We consult with NAB colleagues and leaders who work in the region and know the region, our customers and the community,’ he said.

Emotions were high during the last week’s council meeting, with Cr Vince Vitale describing the closure as a “regional issue”.

“It is complete disregard for the community and it is all financial,” he said.

Deputy Shire president Naomi Purcell noted the potential impacts on businesses and community groups.

“For big events like the Waroona Show, it adds to the risk for other businesses carrying large amounts of money,” she said.

As part of its move to fight the decision, the Shire of Waroona his now considering pulling its funds from NAB.

Cr Walmsley said the council had banked through NAB due to the “convenience” of having a branch in town.

“We’re heavily invested in the bank and we kind of feel if our community or us in particular aren’t worth being invested in, then we need to reciprocate that investment,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to some large businesses around the town and they have the same sort of feeling.”

A NAB spokesperson said the decision about the council’s deposits was “a matter for the Shire of Waroona”.

The Shire of Waroona initially claimed NAB had offered a community meeting about the closure but the company said that was not the case.

It is set to be the fourth NAB branch in regional WA to be shut this year, with the doors of the Bunbury CBD, Dunsborough and Denmark branches already closed.