Bank / Credit Union

Thousands of ATMs in Australia removed, branches closed due to coronavirus

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August 17, 2020

Since June, 2,150 ATM terminals have been removed across Australia in an effort to protect the public from the coronavirus, bringing the total amount of ATMs in the country to 25,720, the lowest in 12 years.

In addition to the ATM closures, Australia's top four banks, ANZ, Commonwealth, NAB and Westpack, have shutdown a combined 175 bank branches in the last year due to the pandemic, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

ANZ has closed 68 branches and 72 ATMs; Westpac closed 36 branches and 84 ATMs; and NAB closed 27 branches and 21 ATMs and Commonwealth would only divulge 44 branches were closed.

"Australia's banks have invested heavily to keep up with the customers banking preferences with technology and data now playing a key role in how banks do their business," Anna Bligh, Australian Banking Association's CEO, told the news outlet.