Locals join National Community Bank Conference

Central Victoria will be well represented at a two-day Community Bank® Conference which has attracted almost 300 Community Bank® delegates from throughout Australia.

Beginning in Bendigo tomorrow (Eds: Thursday 4 September), the conference will include the towns of Elmore, Lockington and Charlton for the first time in the five-year history of Community Banking™.

Bendigo’s Community Bank® General Manager Russell Jenkins said it was significant that three “local” communities would this year join the Community Bank® network, given that central Victoria is the home of Bendigo Bank.

The Community Bank® brand and reputation is today spread across 110 communities throughout Australia - as far north as Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, south to Geeveston and Dover in Tasmania, the eastern seaboard’s East Gosford and Collie in the West.

“It’s fantastic to think that these communities will be joined at this year’s conference by towns closer to our home, Lockington, Elmore and Charlton, communities all in the process of joining the Community Bank® network.

“For many years the town of Maldon has been the only Community Bank® in this district.

“Come the end of this year it will be a case of coming full circle, three Community Bank® branches opening in our own backyard which is wonderful for these individual communities and great for central Victoria.”

It has been a significant year for Community Banking™ with many milestones achieved.

• Opening of the 100th Community Bank® branch in San Remo, Victoria.
• Signing of the original Community Bank® franchise agreement by Australia’s first Community Bank® towns, Rupanyup and Minyip.
• Opening of Tasmania’s first two Community Bank® branches.
• More than $1.2 million in Community Bank® profits returned to communities in both dividends to shareholders and community projects.

• National Community Bank® network achieving $3 billion in banking business.

• Opening of the 250,000th Community Bank® account.

“Many of our communities are now thinking about the future, which includes taking Community Banking™ beyond simply banking.

“Not only are they returning their bank branch profits to local shareholders and community projects, they are also looking at consolidating other services such as telecommunications.

“These 110 communities have shown that they have the community spirit and initiative to return banking to their towns, suburbs and cities, but this is the tip of the iceberg.

“As a group we are helping to create a broader vision for the communities we represent, telecommunications the next step in our bid to help communities become even more self sufficient and take control of their future.”

The conference will be held at the All Seasons International Hotel with a dinner for more than 300 people at Bendigo’s historic Town Hall tomorrow night.