The Bank of New Zealand will shut the Geraldine branch, along with 37 others around the country by the middle of next year. Shirtcliff said he spent years working as an economic development consultant, and discovered there were distinct characteristics that small towns needed to survive and thrive. It was a point raised recently by the mayor of Buller District, which was also losing BNZ branches. "At the moment all we can get is people just parroting 'Smart ATM, Smart ATM' but they're not that bloody smart in my view." He said the bank's mobile service worked well in the Manawatū-Whanganui and Northland regions by bringing banking services and financial support to remote communities.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 05, 2020 21:11 UTC