Tag Archives: oceania

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ANZ to close six more branches as cull continues

ANZ is closing six more branches across Australia, a decision which has drawn anger from a banking union.

Since the beginning of last year, ANZ has closed 152 branches, according to the Finance Sector Union (FSU).

FSU National Secretary Julia Angrisano said the timing of the shutdowns was "heartless", and would affect frontline staff and customers.

When making earlier branch closures, ANZ claimed more and more customers were moving online and did not need regular in-branch banking.

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Branches facing the axe include Mareeba, Queensland; Loxton and North Adelaide in South Australia; Ballarat East in Victoria; Osborne Park in Western Australia; and Sydney Airport in New South Wales.

Thirty-three staff are affected.

In a statement to 9news.com.au, ANZ confirmed the closures and said the bank was seeking to retain as many of the employees as it could.

But the FSU said the workers now faced an "insecure future".

"This is a heartless decision by the ANZ to close branches and impact the lives of staff at a time when bank workers are on the front line … in the middle of a pandemic," Ms Angrisano said.

"These workers are predominantly women."

READ MORE: ANZ to pay $10 million fine over 'unconscionable' payment fees

An ANZ spokesperson said the decision to shut branches was being driven by customer habits which were now showing a strong preference for online banking, not in-branch business.

"Last year alone 70 per cent of our customers preferred digital banking options."

Since January, 48 branches have been notified of closure this calendar year.

ANZ has programs in place for employees who suffered financial hardship after job losses, the spokesperson said.

"Of our employees that were working in a branch that closed last year, we were able to find new roles or redeployment opportunities for nearly all of them that wanted to stay with ANZ, including at remote locations."

In May ANZ posted a cash profit of $2.98 billion for the six months ending March 31, up from $1.32 billion last year.

During the pandemic, the ANZ share price almost halved but has since climbed above pre-2020 levels.

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$10k rebates now available for farmers battling mouse plague

A $10,000 rebate is available for farmers to bait for mice as spring approaches, ahead of a feared resurgence of the rodent plague in New South Wales.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said the funds were now available for use.

The rebates are meant to cover up to 50 percent of the costs of zinc phosphide baits.

Mouse plague slowed by cold weather

READ MORE: Farmers trade tips for building homemade mousetraps amid plague

"We have made $100 million available for zinc phosphide rebates so that farmers are armed and ready if mice numbers begin to increase as we get closer to spring," Mr Barilaro said.

"This is just one part of the NSW Government's $150 million mice support package which includes household and small business rebates and biocontrol research, reinforcing our commitment to support primary producers and regional communities."

Mr Marshall said zinc phosphide was the best tool available for managing the plague.

"I urge farmers to start monitoring mice numbers on their farms right now and start planning how they will manage the impacts as the population increases as we approach harvest," he said.

READ MORE: Charity announces $1 million fund for farmers affected by the mouse plague

NSW Farmers Association vice president Xavier Martin encouraged farmers to apply now.

Claims can be made retrospectively for baits purchased as early as February 1 this year.

"This is an opportunity to prepare for spring when mice populations are predicted to swell," Mr Martin said.

He said the "ongoing" plague would require flexibility in support from the government.

The NSW Government had previously applied to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for permission to use bromadiolone against the mice.

READ MORE: Acting PM says mouse plague should be 'rehomed into inner city apartments'

Mr Marshall said the use of the poison would be like "napalm".

However, in June, the APVMA rejected the application, citing environmental safety concerns.

Experts had raised concerns about the danger the chemical posed to native wildlife, as anything that ate a poisoned mouse stood a high risk of secondary poisoning.

The mouse plague is estimated to have caused more than $1 billion in damage to crops.

Eligible farmers can find out more about how to secure their rebate on the Rural Assistance Authority web page.