Esk NAB branch closure to leave businesses, residents bank-less

NAB has announced it will close its Esk branch on November 3, leaving the town of 1641 people without a traditional bank.

Businesses and residents who rely on the service will have to use the Esk Post Office's Bank@post service, travel to another town, or go online.

The member of the "big four" says the closure is due to a drop in physical customers.

"As more and more customers are choosing to bank online, we've made the difficult decision to close the Esk branch ...," NAB executive retail Queensland Tom Crowley said.

"Over the past few years, fewer customers are coming into branches to do their banking and foot traffic has lessened, which has been accelerated by COVID."

Mr Crowley said Australians were increasingly banking digitally, with more than 94 per cent of customer interactions now taking place over the phone, by video or online.

The executive said the branch team would be talking with customers over the coming months about the various banking alternatives available.

"While the Esk branch will no longer be there, we will still be there for our customers - just in different ways," Mr Crowley said.

NAB said "importantly, there will be no job losses", with the company moving staff to other branches or to phone and digital channels.

This comes after the bank recorded an operating revenue of $8.83 billion and a statutory net profit of $3.55 billion in the six months to March 31.

The branch closure in Esk follows ANZ's departure from nearby Toogoolawah and Kilcoy in recent years.

Somerset Regional Council Mayor Graeme Lehmann has expressed his disappointment over the closure.

"Somerset is a growing region and our community relies on having that personal customer service of walking into a branch. It's disappointing for our residents," Mr Lehmann said.

MP Deb Frecklington has also voiced her dismay, saying the closure will leave behind thousands of business, community groups and individual customers.

"I am hugely disappointed with the National Australia Bank and their decision to strip services from Esk," Ms Frecklington said.

"Unfortunately, this is now the common theme for the big banks, who believe they can service their customers just as well online."

Ms Frecklington said it would always be necessary for community groups, businesses and many individual customers to have access to face-to-face banking services.

With many people in regional areas having poor internet connection, or no computer access at all, internet banking wasn't always the answer, she said.

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