Repacholi slams NAB's plan to close Cessnock branch

The branch will close on Wednesday, June 12 and customers are being directed to NAB East Maitland and Cessnock Post Shop to do their in-person banking.

This comes after Cessnock's ANZ branch closed in April 2023.

Mr Repacholi has launched a petition calling on NAB to reverse its decision and keep the branch open.

"The National Australia Bank fails to understand that customers still value and rely on conducting their banking in person, especially when an issue arises and contacting the call centre just does not cut it," he said.

"Local businesses who are reliant on over-the-counter banking services on a daily basis are raising real concerns with me about what this closure will mean for their businesses.

"These rich fat cats in Sydney office blocks, who never travel to regional areas, now expect customers to travel 30 kilometres to Maitland or Glendale just to do their banking.

"This decision shows that the bank is putting profits ahead of people."

NAB Hunter Coast retail customer executive Jamie Apostolovski said the branch is closing due to customers choosing to bank online.

"While we understand the community will be disappointed, this decision was made after looking closely at the number of customers using this branch and the increased use of digital banking in the area," he said.

"Just as they're using online government services to complete their tax or a Medicare claim, locals in Cessnock are increasingly choosing to bank digitally because its more convenient."

According to NAB's Cessnock branch closure fact sheet, seven per cent of the branch's customers rely on the branch and have no other banking methods, and 75 per cent of its customers are registered for online banking.

"The team at the Cessnock post office are ready to help NAB customers with their day to day banking through our Bank@Post service," Mr Apostolovski said.

"Bank@Post is a significant investment for NAB which brings the convenience of banking services to more than 3,400 locations nationally in partnership with Australia Post.

"There'll be no job losses as part of this change and our branch team have all been offered other roles across the bank."

Customers can access fee-free banking at Australia Post to deposit and withdraw cash, deposit cheques and change/coin floats for business customers.

Business, small business and agribusiness customers will continue to be serviced by their regular agribusiness or business banker.

NAB customers can view the Cessnock branch closure fact sheet here.