Mayor fights bank closure

The Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown has called on the major banks to put people ahead of profits, after news a third branch is set to close in the City in just 12 months.

Commonwealth Bank has revealed it intends closing the doors of its Condell Park branch on 30 August, less than a year after it did the same at Belmore.

“I can’t believe it, CBA is looking to abandon yet another of our local communities,” Mayor Khal Asfour said.

“It appears the bank sees this purely as an economic decision, what about our residents?”

According to the latest Census, almost 10 per cent of Condell Park’s population consists of residents aged 70 or older.

“From speaking with residents, I know many of our seniors and people with disability don’t use internet banking,” Mayor Asfour said.

“Seniors and people with disability, in particular, are going to struggle to travel to Bankstown or Revesby (the closest CBA branches), to do their face-to-face banking.

“Once again, I am calling on CBA’s Chief Executive, Matt Comyn, to show his bank really does care. He needs to repay the loyalty of its customers and workers, by genuinely listening to them, rather than act in ways which indicate it cares more about profits than people.”

Mayor Asfour encouraged concerned residents to also make their voices heard, by calling Commonwealth Bank on 13 22 21.

In May, ANZ also closed a local branch at Chester Hill.