Bankwest customers will still be able to do everyday banking transactions at more than 350 post offices in WA.
Seven of the bank’s regional branches averaged five or fewer customer visits a day.
Workers in quieter locations were already also doing call centre work. Spittles said regional employees would be able to choose to stay in their communities and do call centre work full time.
Bankwest executive general manager Jason Chan said he recognised the change would be challenging for some customers.
“It’s critical we prioritise investment for the majority of our customers,” he said.
Bankwest’s move is in line with industry trends. The number of branches across Australia fell by 30 per cent,or 1680 branches,in the five years to mid-2022,according to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
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Two years ago Bankwest stopped servicing business customers who were transferred to the Commonwealth Bank.
Bankwest started in 1895 when the WA government formed the Agricultural Bank of WA to service farmers. It was rebadged the Rural and Industries Bank,better known as R&I,in the 1940s.
In 1995,with the current name Bankwest,the government sold it to the Bank of Scotland that listed half the equity on the Australian stock exchange,only to buy it back in 2003.