After more than 100 years of business, a bank will shut its doors in a regional Victorian town in just weeks.
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The NAB branch at Cobden, the home of Western Star Butter about 200 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, will shut in April.
The bank recently informed customers the branch would close on April 29, ending more than 130 years of banking in Cobden.
A group representing the town's businesses is bitterly disappointed in the decision.
NAB will end 130-year era with April closure
A spokesman for the Cobden Business Network said although the writing had been on the wall for several years it was "still a shock and a great disappointment to all concerned".
"The branch has been a fundamental part of the Cobden business community over many years with generations of commercial and farming business people and families relying on it for their day-to-day banking," he said.
"The manner of arriving at the decision and delivering the news was also disappointing with absolutely no consultation with the Cobden Business Network or the community."
He said it was concerning the town would be confronting another empty shop or commercial building.
"The business district cannot afford to lose yet another shopfront," he said.
"Hopefully, the town and the immediate area will respond by working as hard as their resources will allow to support the town's businesses." Corangamite Shire mayor Ruth Gstrein said the closure was incredibly disappointing. "We're mindful that there are a number of ways for people to do their banking, but we have an ageing population with a cohort who like to do face to face banking," she said.
She said it was also concerning for Cobden businesses if people went to neighbouring towns to do their banking they could be more likely to do their shopping and other business outside of Cobden.
She encouraged Cobden residents who wanted face to face banking in the town to support the Cobden Community Bank. In August the NAB announced that the operating hours would be from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
NAB Retail Customer Executive Nicholas Faulkner said the number of customers using the branch continued to decline with almost half of Cobden customers visiting the branch once in the past year.
"Importantly, there will be no job losses," he said. "We will be working with our colleagues from this branch on opportunities for them to continue to support customers either at other branches or through phone and digital channels."
