Waikanae is one of 19 branches in NZ that the trans-Tasman bank has listed as facing closure in the near future. A decision is to be be made in October, according to the news report.
The bank says, “Currently, more than 85% of service transactions with us take place outside of a branch. In addition, over the last five years, online transactions increased by 61% and in the last year online logins via a mobile device have increased by 33%.”
It says these changes have seen more than 20 Smart ATMs added over the past two years to provide 24/7 services.
However, this overlooks the fact that branches in places with higher than average elderly populations such as Waikanae look after many customers who are not tech-savvy and don’t do internet banking. Of course, they usually don’t have mortgages or business loans either — so if they don’t generate that lucrative business, the bank probably sees no need to bother with them.
We can’t really say more than while it is the inevitable long term trend, it’s sad.
And yet this dying council persists in throwing borrowed money at it before knowing what shape and size the shopping center will be after the expressway opens.
Look forward Irede Mccloy running the ward with the new mayor or should we say mayoress.
Destination Waikanae is desperate to prevent Mahara Place from becoming empty and at their meeting last week Iride seemed keen to assist them in that goal. The whole area in our view needs a makeover with new buildings, but no higher than the two stories that some of it is now, and it needs to be done in an agreed planned way, where the council has the facilitation role but doesn’t pay for construction other than revamping the open areas which it owns.
We agree that Iride is better than the incumbent Waikanae councillor, but hope you’ll make your no. 1 choice for the ward seat Geoffrey Churchman, your co-editor 🙂