Stacy Squires/Stuff
ANZ, ASB, Westpac and BNZ are among the of the New Zealand Bankers’ Association members contributing to the $1 million a year to help fund the country s largest network of family budgeters.
Banks are to contribute $5 million over five years to help fund the country s largest network of family budgeters. The money will not be used to bankroll the day-to-day running of the charity, which had an income of $2.4m in the year to June, but to fund projects to lift the skills and capabilities of the country’s army of financial mentors, many of whom are volunteers.
South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen has delivered a petition to Parliament on behalf of 33 mayors urging banks to reinstate rural branches across New Zealand.
South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen delivered the petition on behalf of 33 mayors
Photo: LDR/ WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE
Beijen presented the petition to high-ranking government officials on Tuesday after his own concerted campaign to bring major bank branches back to his rural district.
Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson also signed the accord.
Since then, a part-time BNZ branch in neighbouring Carterton and Kiwibank facilities at shops in Featherston, Martinborough, and Greytown have supplemented online financial services.
A trial bank hub was opened in Martinborough late last year by Finance Minister Grant Robertson, one of six in rural areas across New Zealand.
Listen: Jacinda Ardern - What Govt is doing about rural bank closures
2 Mar, 2021 11:45 PM
3 minutes to read
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Country
The Government has been concerned about rural bank closures for some time Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
Yesterday, South Wairarapa mayor Alex Beijen presented Parliament with a letter signed by 32 provincial mayors, calling for a formal enquiry into the effect bank branch closures had on their communities.
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The Government had noticed the trend occurring even pre-Covid, Ardern told The Country s Rowena Duncum. We were seeing closures, particularly in rural isolated areas where banks were making individual decisions which were leaving some communities with banking services at a huge distance.
Your playlist will load after this ad Among them is South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen, who says businesses and older Kiwis still need physical branches to bank. Source: 1 NEWS
South Wairarapa District Mayor Alex Beijen delivered the petition to the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson today.
Last year, the Government launched four regional banking hubs in Martinborough, Opunake, Stoke and Twizel in response to banks shutting down individual branches.
Today, at the hub in Martinborough, South Wairarapa locals expressed frustration with the trial.
Your playlist will load after this ad Dozens of mayors say the banks should be forced to provide services to small communities.