In NSW,the numbers dropped from 4433 to 2083 and,in Victoria,from 3382 to 1725 over the same five-year period.
The total number of bank branches fell from 5694 to 4014 between 2017 and 2022. In NSW,the branch numbers decreased from 1861 to 1335 and in Victoria from 1361 to 958,for the same period.
The four major banks have reported they had more than 3050 fewer ATMs in 2020 than they had five years ago.
Reports to a federal parliament economic committee show that Westpac had 1429 ATMs in 2020,1644 fewer than the 3073 it had in 2015.
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) had 3822 in 2015 and 3019 in 2020. ANZ had 2616 in 2015 and 2105 in 2020. NAB shed 430 machines over the same period,leaving it with 949 in 2020.
It is not without good reason. In December,Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowesaid the value of cash withdrawals was down by 17 per cent from three years earlier. The value of nominal spending had increased by 27 per cent over the same period. “Despite this decline in the use of cash for day-to-day transactions,there is still strong demand for banknotes as a store of wealth,with 38 $50 banknotes and 18 $100 banknotes on issue for every Australian,” he said.