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ABC News
15 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Bendigo Bank closes several country branches leaving older Australians struggling to manage
At 94 years old, the thought of driving a two-hour, more than 120km round trip to do her banking is too much for Esme Rash. "You need a bank. The bank is the backbone of any small town, and we've been lucky to have Bendigo Bank, but now they've cut us off," she told 7.30. Ms Rash is a Bendigo Bank customer in the South Gippsland town of Yarram. At the start of July, the bank announced it would be closing its Yarram branch alongside nine others across Australia over the next two months, as well as its entire agency network. The 'tier two' bank, which has the second largest regional branch network in the country and claims to have more branches per customer than any other Australian bank, has blamed declining customer interactions and increasing costs for the closures. The Bendigo Bank branch is the last remaining in Yarram, which was once home to five banks. "I know it's very hard to select one town against another, but they need to really look at things when they close them down. There are an awful lot of people in this town that are very upset," Ms Rash told 7.30. A July 2025 report by the Australian Banking Association (ABA) found that 99.3 per cent of customer-bank interactions are occurring via digital channels. "More than 99 per cent of all bank transactions are now done online. And nevertheless, we still have one of the largest branch footprints in the OECD," Former ABA CEO Anna Bligh told 7.30. Ms Rash believes "the world is trying to get rid of cash". "In small towns, they'll never put signs in their windows that [say] card-only. It can't happen," she said. Once the Yarram branch closes, the nearest Bendigo Bank branch is in Traralgon, 63 kilometres away. The bank has pointed its customers to alternative banking options, including the local post office, just 35 metres from its soon-to-be-closed branch. Australia Post offers a limited range of face-to-face banking services known as Bank@Post and there are more than 3,300 outlets across the country. The service is paid for by banks and offers basic banking functions such as withdrawing and depositing cash, cashing cheques, paying bills and checking account balances. However, Ms Rash prefers face-to-face banking and the security of an established branch. "You go to a bank for your privacy, you go to ask them questions, you pop in when you think you might need some money and you get it out," she said. Fellow local Wendy Pope agreed. "I think it's quite sad. I didn't think Yarram would ever come to this," she said. Many in Yarram fear Bendigo Bank's departure will be the start of an economic decline for the town. "For the people who have to go out of town [for banking], they are also going to go shopping there as well. And I think it'll be a downturn for the little town itself," Ms Pope said. Jeff Amos, the secretary of Yarram Country Club, shared a similar sentiment. "A lot of people would say it's the beginning of the end," he told 7.30. "I've seen a few other towns in a few places around Victoria that the bank pulls out, the town gradually declines, and here I can see the same sort of thing happening." Australia Post's limited banking offerings are good for smaller transactions but have shortfalls when it comes to business banking. The maximum daily deposit is $10,000, which means the club will now need to travel to Traralgon by road to process large amounts of cash at the closest branch. They're looking into the cost of hiring an armed cash transfer business to transfer the money securely. The club's chairperson, Margaret Ford, agreed. "You'd be endangering the life of your staff member, which is not something that we want to do," she said. In a statement to 7.30, Bendigo Bank apologised to customers for the inconvenience and said it was "working hard to support its people and customers impacted by the changes". "We recognise some customers, such as those experiencing vulnerability, may experience greater impacts, and encourage these customers to contact us so we can better support them through the transition," the statement said. "Bendigo Bank remains committed to its physical network and the personalised interactions that occur in our branches every day." "To preserve what makes it unique, the Bank must balance its physical network presence with the need to continue investing in the changing preferences of its 2.7 million customers." The Financial Sector Union of Australia estimates that since 2020, 931 branches have closed across the country. A federal government inquiry into bank closures in regional Australia handed down eight recommendations in May 2024 to stem the impacts of branch closures. Victorian Labor Senator Raff Ciccone sat on the inquiry and said: "One of the main items that we took from the inquiry was how important our branches are, particularly for people in the community who don't have access to or don't have the ability to do online banking." The inquiry's recommendations included investigating the feasibility of establishing a publicly owned bank and a Regional Community Banking Branch Program (RCBBP), the urgent establishment of a mandatory banking code of conduct, and an expansion of the banking services offered by Australia Post. When the federal government announced a moratorium on regional branch closures with the big four banks, it cited a 36 per cent drop in the number of regional bank branches since 2017. Last week National MPs wrote to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Financial Services Minister Daniel Mulino, calling on the government to extend the moratorium to other smaller banks and to immediately table a response to the inquiry's recommendations. Financial Services Minister Daniel Mulino declined to be interviewed by 7.30. On Bendigo Bank's decision to close 10 branches across Australia, Mr Ciccone said: "I think it's pretty sad that this bank, who claims to be a bank for the community for many regional communities across Australia, is going down this path like many of the other big banks across Australia." "We want to see community banks like the Bendigo Bank and others also come to the table and also make statements to their bank holders that they will also not close these branches," he said. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
ABC News
20-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Nonagenarians have remained friends for more than 40 years
On a chilly winter's day, Esme Rash is flipping through a photo album. "That was my first bike, which I used to ride the 5 miles [8 kilometres] to my high school in Yarram," Ms Rash said. Sitting beside her is Wendy Pope, her long-time friend. "Oh how wonderful, I used to have one just like that," Ms Pope said. At the ripe ages of 93 and 91, respectively, these two women have seen it all. They have lived through a world war. They have toiled as farmers, raising dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep. They have met, married and mourned for the loves of their lives. Through all of it, across more 40 years, they have remained firm friends. Ms Pope was born in Yarram in 1934, and spent several years at a girls' school in the nearby town of Sale. After meeting her late husband, Ms Pope lived and worked on a Woodside farm for more than 20 years, moving back to Yarram in 1977. Ms Pope said she loved life on the land. "But once we moved into Yarram we settled in quite well." Ms Rash was born in Sale, but lived with her family on the outskirts of Yarram until she was 12 years old. She remembers leaving her rural home in the middle of World War II. "Unfortunately my mother's youngest brother had just been killed in New Guinea, which devastated my grandparents in Melbourne, so we moved there in 1943 to be with them," she said. "But I eventually returned to Yarram with my late husband in 1978." A lot of Ms Pope's memories also centre on the war. "It was 1945 and I remember sitting with my younger sisters on our front step to watch all the festivities announcing the end of the war," she said. Ms Pope said she loved her country childhood. "I also remember riding my bike to the local butter factory, where they'd open a little side door and serve you fresh butter and cream. "That was quite thrilling for a youngster like me!" These two women have been friends for more than four decades, but Ms Pope said their bond goes even further back. "In those days everyone knew everyone, so I knew Esme's family from our holiday trips to places like Manns Beach," she said. They may be in their 90s, but Ms Rash and Ms Pope like to keep busy. Ms Pope spends much of her time volunteering with various community groups. "Over the years I've served at local Red Cross branches, the Anglican church, and Rotary, among others," she said. Family history is Ms Rash's passion. "I'm secretary of our local genealogy group, so I often get calls from the most unexpected people," she said. Earlier this year, both women became recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia. On the King's Birthday weekend, they were honoured with an OAM, alongside 828 other Australians. Ms Pope said she was both surprised and grateful to be recognised for a "distinguished service to the community of Yarram". "Although now Esme and I have to remember to add three more letters to the end of our names!" So what keeps these two women going after more than nine decades on Earth? For Ms Pope, it is the opportunity to serve others. "And if you've got something to look forward to, every day is a joy." Ms Rash said being part of a close-knit community made all the difference. "Here in Yarram, there's always somebody to say hello to when you walk down the street," she said. Ms Rash said Yarram was, and always would be, home. "The local nursing home is right next to the hospital, so I'll go there when my time comes," she said. "And I already have my plot in the cemetery, so I'm just about covered."
News.com.au
30-06-2025
- News.com.au
‘Final piece of the puzzle': Man whose body found in Maroochy River identified as Alexander Marinis
An unknown man whose remains were found in a river on the Sunshine Coast more than a year ago has been identified as Victorian man Alexander Marinis. On November 30 2023, about 8am, members of the public were walking down the Maroochy River when they saw the body of a man floating in the water under the Talep Bridge. Police were called to the scene and deemed the death as non-suspicious. A year-and-a-half after the man's remains were located, his identity remained unknown – until now. On Monday, Queensland Police confirmed the identity of the man as Alexander Marinis, 47, from Yarram in Victoria. He did not have any identification documents or a wallet at the time of his death. The man had no identifiable markers such as tattoos, dental implants or piercings. Police divers searched the river for any clues leading to the man's identity. On the bank of the river, police discovered some of the man's belongings, including a water bottle, jacket, shoes, an ATP-branded backpack and a receipt for a purchase made at a Bunnings three days before his remains were found. CCTV footage revealed the man purchased items at the hardware shop using a brown wallet that was not recovered at the scene. Police confirmed the man's identity was confirmed after a Centrelink staff member recognised his face from an ABC article. 'Great lengths were taken to identify the man over this period: door knocking, DNA testing, some work with Interpol around some surgical artefacts in the man's knee, which resulted in worldwide inquiries,' Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Robert Lowry told reporters. 'The final piece of the puzzle was the DNA from the family, which led to a positive identification of the male.' The man's death has been deemed non-suspicious, and the 47-year-old's remains were returned to his family. Detective Yowry thanked those who assisted in the search to identify Mr Marinis. 'I sincerely thank the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation,' he said. 'A person, who had previously dealt with the man in a professional capacity in Maroochydore, recognised the man after seeing an appeal on the news and contacted police to share the information. 'This information led us to being able to confirm his identify through DNA testing and contact the man's family. 'I also want to thank the detectives that worked on this investigation with such perseverance and tenacity.' His mother Maree Bergamo said she learnt of her son's death on February 13, about 14 months after his remains were found in the river. She said her son was an 'intelligent, decent and loyal person' who frequently preferred to be on his own. She explained that he cut himself off from family, prompting her to hire a private investigator to track him down. He moved to Queensland and died a few weeks later. He was laid to rest in a private funeral last month, police said. 'Alex was a loner, sadly,' Ms Bergamo said at his funeral, per the ABC. 'Alex will always be remembered as a kind, decent and law-abiding person. 'He was a non-drinker and non-smoker. Alex was always loved and adored by my family. 'It's tragic that he didn't seek help.'
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Identity of man's body in river solved
An unknown man whose remains were found in a river on the Sunshine Coast more than a year ago has been identified as Victorian man Alexander Marinis. On November 30 2023, about 8am, members of the public were walking down the Maroochy River when they saw the body of a man floating in the water under the Talep Bridge. Police were called to the scene and deemed the death as non-suspicious. A year-and-a-half after the man's remains were located, his identity remained unknown – until now. On Monday, Queensland Police confirmed the identity of the man as Alexander Marinis, 47, from Yarram in Victoria. He did not have any identification documents or a wallet at the time of his death. The man had no identifiable markers such as tattoos, dental implants or piercings. Police divers searched the river for any clues leading to the man's identity. On the bank of the river, police discovered some of the man's belongings, including a water bottle, jacket, shoes, an ATP-branded backpack and a receipt for a purchase made at a Bunnings three days before his remains were found. CCTV footage revealed the man purchased items at the hardware shop using a brown wallet that was not recovered at the scene. Police confirmed the man's identity was confirmed after a Centrelink staff member recognised his face from an ABC article. 'Great lengths were taken to identify the man over this period: door knocking, DNA testing, some work with Interpol around some surgical artefacts in the man's knee, which resulted in worldwide inquiries,' Queensland Police Detective Senior Sergeant Robert Lowry told reporters. 'The final piece of the puzzle was the DNA from the family, which led to a positive identification of the male.' The man's death has been deemed non-suspicious, and the 47-year-old's remains were returned to his family. Detective Yowry thanked those who assisted in the search to identify Mr Marinis. 'I sincerely thank the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation,' he said. 'A person, who had previously dealt with the man in a professional capacity in Maroochydore, recognised the man after seeing an appeal on the news and contacted police to share the information. 'This information led us to being able to confirm his identify through DNA testing and contact the man's family. 'I also want to thank the detectives that worked on this investigation with such perseverance and tenacity.' His mother Maree Bergamo said she learnt of her son's death on February 13, about 14 months after his remains were found in the river. She said her son was an 'intelligent, decent and loyal person' who frequently preferred to be on his own. She explained that he cut himself off from family, prompting her to hire a private investigator to track him down. He moved to Queensland and died a few weeks later. He was laid to rest in a private funeral last month, police said. 'Alex was a loner, sadly,' Ms Bergamo said at his funeral, per the ABC. 'Alex will always be remembered as a kind, decent and law-abiding person. 'He was a non-drinker and non-smoker. Alex was always loved and adored by my family. 'It's tragic that he didn't seek help.' Lifeline 13 11 14 Suicide call back service 1300 659 467 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 Mensline Australia 1300 78 99 78 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 1800 Respect 1800 737 732 13YARN 13 92 76 (For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
