General News
16 November, 2025
Parallels in banking experiences
Martin Duke writes to the Editor to reinforce the value of local news-papers, and the parallels with banking closures in Wycheproof.
Sir, I write to reinforce the value of local news-papers, and advise the outcome of the Wycheproof concerns on the Bendigo Bank agency closure in Wycheproof that your readers may see parallels in your towns.
It is due to the articles in newspapers, and some correspondence we sent to the Charlton and Donald Community Banks, that I was invited to a video conference with some senior people at the Bendigo Bank and the Charlton Community Bank.
Unfortunately the session did not result in even a few half days of face to face service being made available in Wycheproof. And the agency closed on 21 October.
Some of the reasons given were that the Regulations around agency banking has become more difficult; the Bendigo Bank technology cannot be secure enough for such agencies (but the Community Bank branches are secure) and their statistics showed there is a low usage of the Wycheproof agency.
I raised the fact that my wife and I had not been written to with the advice of the closure, nor the offer of ongoing transaction fee subsidisation, even though we have been back as residents in Wyche for seven years, and members of the Bendigo Bank for at least 25 years.
It seems a key component is that our account is not ‘domiciled’ in Wycheproof. Rather in the branch
we signed up with initially. And we had not asked for it to be transferred.
At the end of the conversation the senior bank staff asked for me to encourage the Wycheproof residents to continue banking with the Charlton Community Bank to keep it sustainable and thus Wycheproof be eligible for their grant process.
If you or any of your readers have knowledge of a banking organisation that would provide some level of regular face-to-face banking services in Wycheproof, I am sure our community would positively examine the opportunity.
Martin Duke
President, Wyche Alive