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CBA commits to keeping regional branches and cash access until 2030

Australia's biggest bank extends moratorium on rural branch closures as cash use continues to decline

By LineZotpaper
Published
Updated
Read Time2 min
Sources3 outlets
Commonwealth Bank has announced it will extend its regional banking moratorium by three years, committing to keep hundreds of country branches open until at least December 2030, and pledged to maintain widespread access to cash despite a sharp drop in usage.

On Thursday, Commonwealth Bank said it would push back the expiry of its moratorium on rural branch closures from July next year to the end of 2030. The move follows competitor Westpac, which extended its own moratorium to 2030 last year.

CBA, which operates Australia's largest banking network with more than 600 branches and 1,700 ATMs, also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting cash. Retail bank group executive Angus Sullivan said the bank maintained a "long-term enduring commitment" to cash, even as usage falls. Reserve Bank data shows the proportion of Australians using cash in a typical week dropped from 97 per cent in 2007 to 50 per cent in 2025.

Sullivan noted that the removal of surcharges on credit and debit card transactions at the point of sale might further accelerate the shift to electronic payments. "The trend with cash is clear, but we've got a commitment to support cash," he said.

CBA boss Matt Comyn said he could not foresee a time "in any conceivable timeline" where the bank would not be supporting cash, according to the report.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The decision affects hundreds of regional communities that rely on physical bank branches for everyday banking, particularly older Australians and those with limited internet access.
  • It sets an industry benchmark for cash access at a time when the Reserve Bank is tracking the decline in its usage and considering the future of the payments system.
  • The extension gives clarity to regional customers and local businesses who feared branch closures could accelerate.

Background

Commonwealth Bank is Australia's largest retail bank with a network concentrated in metropolitan and regional areas. As digital banking has grown, branch foot traffic has fallen, and many banks have closed rural outlets or reduced their presence. In response to community concerns, the major banks introduced moratoriums on regional branch closures, pledging not to shut country branches for a set period. Westpac extended its moratorium to 2030 last year. CBA's previous deadline was July next year.

Key Perspectives

Regional customers and communities: They gain certainty that local branches and over-the-counter services will remain available for several more years, preserving access for those who are less comfortable with digital banking. Commonwealth Bank: It presents the commitment as a long-term responsibility, balancing the clear decline in cash usage with a promise to maintain access. The bank may hope this builds trust and goodwill in regional areas. Critics and consumer advocates: Some may argue that the moratorium is still temporary and that customers need a permanent guarantee of cash access. Others might question whether maintaining branches and ATMs at current levels is economically sustainable as usage continues to fall.

What to Watch

  • Whether other major banks, such as NAB or ANZ, follow with similar extended moratoriums.
  • Reserve Bank policy responses to the continued decline in cash use, including potential consideration of a digital dollar or changes to cash distribution obligations.
  • Consumer behaviour: if surcharge removal further boosts card payments, cash use may drop below 50 per cent, testing the sustainability of CBA's commitment.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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