ANZ closure plan shocks

Locals are dismayed about a proposal to close the ANZ bank branch in Motueka.

A spokesperson for the bank said on Friday staff at the High St branch were being consulted over the proposed closure. If it went ahead, it would follow a string of ANZ branch closures in small towns across New Zealand.

Anika Katene, who works at the Motueka Hello Banana store, said it was ‘‘very disappointing’’.

‘‘This is actually a bank that helps a whole lot of people in our community,’’ she said.

‘‘This shop, and a lot of other shops, bank with that bank, and I bank with that bank and I love it. I love the customer service – they’re just wonderful people.’’

Further along High St at the European Bakery, Charlotte Hall said her primary concern was for the elderly, who already had limited access to services.

‘‘If they wanted to do their banking, they’d have to go to Richmond . . . because they don’t do their banking online,’’ she said.

Hall said she used to work for an elderly lady as a gardener, and had helped take her to other services and shops, including the bank. She said the elderly valued having a local branch to visit. ‘‘They can go in and talk to a real person.

‘‘They don’t want to have to do that online or travel over to Richmond. It’s about personal relationships.’’

John Fisher said he was an ANZ customer but wouldn’t be for much longer if the bank decided to close the branch.

‘‘From my point of view, they’re leaving us and we’ll go and find another bank.’’

He said it provided a service for not just locals but also those who visited Motueka.

Marie Gill said she had seen the ANZ branch close in Hokitika, and didn’t want the same thing to happen in Motueka.

‘‘It’s made it very awkward, especially for elderly people, to be able to actually do any banking. They often go to the bank and get their money out for the week, and now they’re going to have to change banks . . . for some people, it’s traumatising.’’

Tasman District Council Motueka councillor David Ogilvie said he would be ‘‘surprised and disappointed’’ if ANZ closed the branch.

‘‘There may be a number of bank changes perhaps, from new technology, where people perhaps aren’t going in. But to close an office would be remarkable.’’