The impending closure of Molong's Commonwealth Bank has left business owners fearful of being robbed.
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At Cabonne Shire Council's meeting on Tuesday the Commonwealth Bank was condemned by councillors after revealing it would close branches in Molong and Blayney.
The backlash in both towns has been swift and unforgiving, with Molong locals worried they would have to make a 75km round trip to Orange.
Mayor Kevin Beatty gave the example of one major business owner in Molong who banked thrice weekly with the bank.
He said the business owner - who did not want to be named due to security concerns if they have to begin ferrying cash to Orange - was just one of many who relied on the bank.
He also said that elderly Molong residents who didn't use the internet and weren't able to drive would have to catch a bus to Orange and back to conduct any banking.
He described the bank's decision as "ridiculous" and said council was trying to organise a meeting with bank executives to put their case against the closure.
Jen Willox, who runs a florist within Molong's The Red Door Vintage and Collectia, said that as a cash business she relied on the Commonwealth Bank, as it was too expensive to operate an EFTPOS machine, and the WIFI was too unreliable: "The ATM at the Commonwealth Bank plays a very large part in the community."
She said a lot of elderly residents still used passbooks to bank, "and they put their faith in the Commonwealth Bank a long, long time ago ... it's atrocious".
A petition against the bank closures in Molong and Blayney on change.org had attracted more than 1,100 signatures.
Commonwealth Bank's regional general manager, Norm Swift, said last week the Blayney branch had experienced a 37 percent drop in transactions over five years.
He pointed customers to the bank's branches in Bathurst and Orange.
In the six months to December 31, the bank reported a net profit after tax of $4.88 billion.
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