Rural Bank Closures Leave Vulnerable Australians Struggling: Report

Branch closures are leaving many regional residents grappling with limited access to essential financial services.

This photo illustration shows a mixture of different value Australian coins in Sydney, Australia on June 5, 2014. Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

Rural bank closures deprive vulnerable Australian communities of financial support, with many regional residents lacking the funds and digital know-how for online banking, new research shows.

Over a third of regional residents feel financial strain when paying for high-quality internet, impacting their ability to afford other essentials.