“Absolutely disgusting”: Fury erupts over the closure of Bendigo Bank's Yarram branch
Wellington Shire councillors condemned the decision at a recent council meeting.
Jacob Wallace
July 03, 2025
Yarram pensioners who were forced to use online banking could be more susceptible to scams, two Wellington councillors have said, in the wake of Bendigo Bank’s decision to close its Yarram branch.
Councillors Garry Stephens and Carmel Ripper were speaking to a unanimously backed motion during Monday’s Wellington Shire Council meeting. The motion condemned Bendigo Bank's decision to close its Yarram branch.
“The announcement was delivered without warning via email to the Mayor and CEO on 25 June, with no consultation or engagement with the local community,” council said via a statement.
Bendigo Bank’s Yarram branch at 226 Commercial Road will close on Friday September 26. The bank also announced the Korumburra branch in South Gippsland will be closing on Friday August 29.
Stephens moved a motion seeking “the mayor write to the head of corporate affairs at Bendigo Bank to express the council's deep disappointment and concern regarding the decision to close the Yarram branch”.
The motion also requested the Wellington Shire CEO David Morcom write to relevant state and federal ministers about the issue.
The motion was passed without being challenged.
Stephens said there was “an unacceptable lack of community consultation and [a] significant negative impact on residents, small businesses, community groups and staff”.
Stephens labelled it as a “disgraceful and disappointing decision by Bendigo Bank” and said the decision will most heavily impact lower-socioeconomic pensioners.
“A lot of them don’t have the transport or the opportunity to go to places like Traralgon and beyond,” he said.
Councillor Carmel Ripper told the chamber a lot of older people had said to her “they aren’t able to do banking online and do not want to do banking online”.
Bendigo Bank, which describes itself as “The Better Big Bank”, justified its decision in a media release saying “many of our customers are choosing to bank online or with our app, which means we’re seeing fewer and fewer people requiring our branch services”.
