Comm Bank closing in Harvey

Harvey Shire president Paul Gillett has slammed Commonwealth Bank’s decision to pull out of Harvey. The branch will close on May 14, leaving Bendigo Bank and Westpac as the town’s last banks standing. Cr Gillett said the move would hurt the elderly community and criticised the big player, which last year made more than $30 billion in revenue, for abandoning the small country town. “It’s sad, banks are pulling out all over the place without due regard for the community,” he said. “They are making multi billions of dollars in profit, there should be a sector of community obligation to maintain and a certain level of service.” However, the bank justified the decision by citing the “49 per cent drop in transactions” in the Harvey branch over the past five years. “Before the coronavirus pandemic, around two-thirds of our customers were using digital channels for their everyday banking needs, like transferring funds, making payments and checking account balances,” the bank said. It said customers could use the Bunbury branch or the recently upgraded Eaton branch. Commonwealth Bank is the latest bank to jump ship in the Harvey Shire, following last year’s departure of ANZ from Australind and NAB’s exit from Harvey in 2018 as well as its shortening of hours in Waroona last year — a move heavily scrutinised by Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley.