Rural Australians Told to Look Beyond Big Four Banks

This combination of photos taken show the signs of the "big four" Australian banks in Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 30, 2017. Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

Regional Australia “can’t put the genie back in the bottle” as banking services move online and local branches shut their doors.

But community banks could be one option to keep rural economies alive and give locals the face-to-face services they need; a federal inquiry has been told.