The planned closure of Westpac's Windsor branch on 21st June has been slammed by the Windsor community and described by Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds as a bitter blow for the suburb’s elderly and disabled residents.  

“I wrote to Westpac last week expressing my deep concern at its proposal to shut this branch," Simmonds said.

“The closure will be a major disruption to the Windsor community’s elderly and disabled residents, many of whom walk or use scooters for transport, and simply don’t travel into the city centre."

“These people have now been left high and dry, like many other small communities around Southland who have faced bank closures."

“It’s disappointing that despite my pleas, Westpac felt they could not do more for their Windsor customers."

“Westpac has sited major seismic strengthening issues at the branch, as the reason for the closure with remediation work ‘not possible without significant disruption."

“However, I would suggest that local customers would be more than happy to tolerate any disruption, if it meant that their local bank could remain open."

“The bank’s suggestion that the ‘closeness’ of its Invercargill branch will mean ‘minimal disruption’ for their Windsor customers; shows just how out of touch they are."

“A 5.4Km round trip to Westpac’s Invercargill branch, on foot or by scooter in Southland’s inclement winter weather, is not something that many elderly or disabled people will be able to manage."

“The bank points out that there is a bus service into town, but I remain disappointed that we are seeing this loss of banking services in this suburb,” Simmonds said.

Windsor Stationary and Gift's co-owner Nick Murie said the decision would be gutting for people living in Windsor, many of whom who were older or retired.

"I do feel desperately sorry for the people that need to use the bank."

"They've got no internet [and] they don't do internet banking," he said.

Murie said there would now be no money machines (ATMs) left in Windsor, except for the one at the New World supermarket.

Murie anticipated this business would come under additional pressure from people wanting cash out.

Windsor Pharmacy manager Holly Sycamore said the bank's closure would be a shame for customers.

"A lot of them find it hard to go into the centre of town," she said, with many preferring to just stay within the Windsor area.

A Westpac spokesperson said their recently opened Invercargill City branch, with a 24 hour banking lobby, was less than 3km from Windsor and could be reached by a regular bus service.

There is a mobility parking space across the street from the branch, they said.

The spokesperson said Westpac was also exploring free and accessible parking options for customers in the Invercargill Central mall.