Westpac has announced a significant push into regional Queensland, rolling out a visiting banker programme across six towns and committing more than $10 million to upgrade existing branches — a signal that the major bank sees ongoing value in maintaining a physical presence beyond metropolitan centres.
The bank's Community Banking Service will launch in Clifton, Pittsworth, Malanda, Ravenshoe, Clermont, and Laidley, building on a pilot that began in regional New South Wales earlier this year.
The model sees Westpac bankers visit participating towns on a fortnightly basis, offering residents and business owners direct access to in-person financial support alongside the bank's digital services.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of significant contraction in regional banking — the RBIA reported in April that nearly 900 branches have closed across regional and remote Australia over nine years, a 38% reduction costing close to 4,000 local jobs.
Westpac CEO Anthony Miller (pictured) said the bank's approach was deliberately tailored to the diversity of Queensland's regional communities.
"A one-size-fits-all model doesn't always work, particularly across such diverse regional communities," Miller said in a media release. "The Community Banking Service is about being present in these regions, understanding local conditions and supporting everyday decisions, whether that's for households or businesses."
He acknowledged the ongoing shift to digital banking while arguing that human contact remains essential for many customers.
"The challenge and the opportunity we have is finding the right balance between in person and digital, so customers get the service they need in a way that makes sense for them," Miller said.
The numbers bear this out: ABA data shows 99.3% of banking interactions now happen digitally, yet Kearney research finds branches remain critical for complex services like home loans — precisely the territory brokers operate in.
Westpac has extended its moratorium on regional branch closures through to 2030 — a commitment first introduced in 2023, extended alongside industry peers to mid-2027, and then hardened further in November 2025. Alongside that pledge, the bank confirmed it will invest over $10 million upgrading branches and business banking centres in Roma, Cairns, Rockhampton, and Dalby.
"Our customers in the regions are investing, growing and backing themselves and we are here to support them," Miller said.
The Queensland roll-out is part of a broader regional strategy. Westpac has already opened Regional Service Centres in Moree (NSW), Leongatha (VIC), and Smithton (TAS), with a fourth centre planned for Yass (NSW). The Community Banking Service pilot has also expanded within NSW to include Walcha and will soon reach Boggabri.
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