Commonwealth Bank has today opened a new branch in the NSW town of Lismore after the original site was inundated by catastrophic flooding in early 2022. The new branch marks the completion of a $2 million investment into Lismore this year, with a temporary pop-up branch operating in the town while the branch's new permanent home in Lismore Square was constructed.
The new branch reflects CBA's commitment to Lismore and to regional Australia, and demonstrates the Bank's ongoing priority to maintain the largest branch network across the country.
Stephanie Darragh, CBA Lismore Branch Manager said: "Like so many homes and businesses, our branch was submerged by the East Coast floods this year. It has been the most trying and overwhelming period for so many people in our community, so our focus has been to always be there for Lismore, both in the immediate aftermath and while the town rebuilds."
Shortly after the 2022 floods swept through Lismore, CBA deployed its mobile pop-up branch to the town and the branch team have been providing full face-to-face banking support to Lismore customers via the temporary branch on university grounds since then.
"This investment in Lismore reflects the importance of our branch network as one of the many ways customers can interact with us. We've been meeting customers' financial needs in Lismore for over 110 years and are so pleased we can continue to do so at our new location in Lismore Square," Ms Darragh said.
CBA's new Lismore branch showcases the latest in banking technology, including ATMs with instant deposit capability and a change machine. The branch is located at Shop T039A, Lismore Square Shopping Centre on the corner of Uralba Street and Brewster Street, and is open from 9.30am-4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 9:30am-5pm on Thursdays.
To complement the new branch, CBA's Business Banking team will relocate back to Lismore with a new office at Level 1, 24 Molesworth Street in early 2023 to support the North Coast and local Lismore businesses with their banking needs.
The investment in a new branch for Lismore also forms part of CBA's broader support for the community and other flood-affected regions across Australia's east coast. Together with CBA's Emergency Assistance support, which is available for customers in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, CBA also recently teamed up with charity organisation Thread Together to bring brand-new clothing to communities affected by the recent floods across New South Wales and Victoria.
Thread Together provide unsold new clothing from fashion retailers to people in need across Australia for free via clothing hubs, mobile wardrobes and an online wardrobe service. As a joint initiative with CBA, Thread Together has deployed these valuable services to Lismore and other communities across the Northern Rivers, North West and the Riverina region of New South Wales and northern Victoria, and are providing thousands of individuals, families and communities with access to new clothing to restore some dignity during these challenging times.
Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of CBA customers and communities, CBA was able to raise $2.87 million via the Bank's CanGive Flood Appeal for those affected by this year's devastating events. To further support communities impacted by the floods, CBA also presented 216 local community organisations with a grant of up to $10,000 through the CommBank Flood Relief Grants program. Together, these combined support measures have contributed more than $4.87 million to help fund ongoing recovery efforts.
Banner image: Employees and community members cut the ribbon at the Commonwealth Bank branch in Lismore, NSW
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