Post Bank rejects council agency offer

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 401, 27 August 1991, Page 5

Post Bank rejects council agency offer

The Ruapehu District Council will not be operating a PostBank agency at its Ohakune service centre. And mayor Garrick Workman is now encouraging PostBank customers to transfer their accounts to Trust Bank or the BNZ. "We may as well support the banks which are going to still provide a good service to our area," said Mayor Workman. PostBank has declined the offer from the Council and is to cease operating in the Waimarino on 13 September. ANZ Bank, which operates PostBank, said in a letter that the size of the cash holding and the bank security and audit procedures would be prohibitive for the council and the bank. The cost of running the bank would also be too great, said the letter. Ruapehu mayor Garrick Workman, who had negotiated with the bank on the proposal, said he was disappointed that they rejected the offer "outright without wanting to discuss it further". Trust Bank manager Mark Clements said his bank was happy to consider all PostBank customers. He said most could be accommodated. Asked if the bank was happy to take on beneficiaries as customers (beneficiaries having been among the traditional customers of PostBank), Mr Clements said yes. "We are prepared to give everyone a chance and if they operate their accounts properly, then it's all well and good," said Mr Clements. He said the bank had turned down about 1 in 400 applications and then it was because they had previously been bad Trust Bank customers.