Fury as Qld holiday spot goes cashless
Popular tourist hot spot Hamilton Island is facing scrutiny after it quietly banned the use of cash.
It comes as the nation’s biggest banks close hundreds of branch locations, citing a rapid decline in cash withdrawal services and a preference for digital banking.
The inevitable move towards a cashless society has attracted criticism in recent years, with opponents of the movement becoming more vocal recently after a leaked Coles staff memo sparked fears the supermarket would go cashless over Easter.
The supermarket quickly clarified this was not the case, but this didn’t stop thousands of Aussies flocking to branches and ATMs to withdraw cash on April 2 in a nationwide protest.
Members of Facebook group Cash Is King Australia, boasting almost 148,000 members, have expressed anger once again this week after it was revealed one of the country’s most popular holiday spots has decided to go cashless.
“No trips to Hamilton Island I’m afraid,” a member wrote in a post weeks ago. “Thousands of people should share this!”
The island in Queensland’s idyllic Whitsundays', near the Great Barrier Reef, has quietly kept in place a pandemic era decision to stop using cash on its island. A short paragraph tucked away in the “Pre Arrival Information” page of the island’s website explains the island is now a “cashless environment”.
“We do not accept cash at any of our outlets. Cash deposits and withdrawals can be made using the Bank@Post service at the Australia Post office on Front Street, where cash can also be exchanged for prepaid or top-up Mastercards.