Bunyip residents meet to form bank

Paul Dunlop
BUNYIP residents are pushing for their own community bank.
They believe it would be an investment in the town’s future.
A push to establish a bank will be kickstarted at a public meeting at the Bunyip Hall on Saturday.
Community leaders say they are already well on the way to generating the $600,000 needed to open for business.
Cardinia Shire’s Bunyip Ward councillor Bill Pearson said a committee would be formed to lead the bank push.
Cr Pearson urged residents to show their support by attending the meeting which starts at 11am.
“At the moment Bunyip only has agencies of the Bendigo and Commonwealth banks which are not open the hours of a proper bank.
“Our plan for a community bank would see it open six days a week, including Saturday morning.
“There would be an ATM, which the town hasn’t got at the moment and the bank would have its own manager.”
Cr Pearson said the committee needed to raise the $600,000 in three months.
“I believe we can do it in two,” he said.
“We’ve already had verbal pledges in the vicinity of $200,000.”
Cr Pearson said Bunyip residents would take a lead from neighbours at Lang Lang, where a community bank established a couple of years ago was operating very successfully.
“Things are really happening in Bunyip at the moment and this is part of that,” he said.