Press Release – NZ Bankers’ Association The six banks participating in the Regional Banking Hubs trial are renewing their commitment to not close regional branches until the end of the year, when the trial concludes. The September 2019 announcement of the hubs pilot included a voluntary … The six banks participating in the Regional Banking Hubs trial are renewing their commitment to not close regional branches until the end of the year, when the trial concludes. The September 2019 announcement of the hubs pilot included a voluntary commitment to not close regional branches for the period of the trial. The full commitment was in place for 15 months but was suspended in January this year because of the significant impact of Covid-19 on customer behaviour and the hubs launch timeframe.