The family of Bendigo community banks has added another local member with the opening last week of the Blaxland agency.
Blaxland and the Lower Mountains lost banking services when the Commonwealth and Westpac Banks closed branches in 2018.
There has been a similar abandonment by St George and Sydney Credit Union in the Upper Mountains.
In 2018, a Bendigo Bank agency was opened in Blackheath to return services when the Commonwealth Bank closed its doors. It is a joint partnership with Katoomba branch and Blackheath Newsagency.
The Blaxland Chamber of Commerce and the local steering committee that worked for many months must be thanked for the efforts they put in to help produce this outcome.
Subsequently the Blaxland Day and Night Pharmacy came to an agreement with the Katoomba Bendigo branch that jointly running a Bendigo Bank agency was the best way forward.
Chairman of the Katoomba branch, Robert Stock, said at the official opening in Blaxland: "We seem to be going against the banking trend, with major banks announcing huge profits but closing branches in our towns, it defies logic and is not sustainable.
We seem to be going against the banking trend.
- Robert Stock
"By banking with Bendigo Community Bank, you ensure that we not only employ locals and offer service to our customers but serious, consistent money is returned to this community.
"In the Upper Mountains we have returned over $700,000 to date," Mr Stock said.
The regional manager of Bendigo Bank Ltd, Amanda Mahon-Paul, said: "You may not think who you bank with matters but it does. Every day our community-minded customers and businesses in towns, villages and suburbs just like Blaxland help change lives, and save lives, simply by banking with us.
"For our customers, their banking is making a real difference. Their home loans are helping to support local emergency services, environmental and animal welfare, community facilities and infrastructure, education and research.
"Their personal loans, business banking and credit cards are helping towards arts, culture and heritage, health and wellbeing, sports and recreation in their local area."
Kim Stubbs, owner of Blaxland Day 'n' Night Pharmacy and now the Bendigo Agency, said that she and her business partners were very happy to be able to support the local community with a bank that offers all services.