The National Australia Bank (NAB) has commited to keeping eight south-west bank branches open until at least January 2021.
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NAB group chief executive Philip Chronican said on Wednesday the NAB's regional and rural Australia branches would continue to operate for at least the next 21 months.
The announcement came as NAB extended its existing commitment of no branch closures in drought-affected areas to all regional and rural communities across the country.
NAB has 316 branches in regional and rural Australia, employing more than 1600 people.
Of those, 71 are located in Victoria. NAB branches still operating in the south-west include Camperdown, Cobden, Colac, Hamilton, Portland, Terang, Timboon and Warrnambool. About 40 people are employed across the eight branches.
Of the 316 NAB branches to remain open, they include 101 branches in NSW, 83 in Queensland, 31 in Western Australia, 17 in South Australia, eight in Tasmania and five in the Northern Territory.
The NAB's commitment comes as the big four banks reduce their physical presence in regional and rural areas. The Terang ANZ bank branch closed in 2016, followed by the Terang Commonwealth Bank's closure in June, 2017 leaving the town with one bank, the NAB. Koroit lost its ANZ branch in July 2017.
The NAB closed its Port Fairy and Casterton branches in August last year. The Koroit NAB branch closed early 2000s.
Mr Chronican said NAB was proud of its heritage in regional and rural Australia wanted its customers to know that the bank's priority was to serve them.
"We also know that regional and rural Australia is undergoing significant change - and impacts like bank branch closures are difficult for communities," Mr Chronican said.
"The local NAB branch and the bankers we employ can play a key role in supporting communities and customers through change and this decision provides certainty that we will continue to be there for them.
"We are determined to find more ways to be a better bank and will continue to take actions that put customers first."
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