Bank Australia


Bank Australia is an Australian customer owned bank. Its stated purpose is to create mutual prosperity in the form of positive economic, social, environmental and cultural impact.
It is a member of the Customer Owned Banking Association, the Australian Banking Association, the Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals, and the Global Alliance for Banking on Values..
Bank Australia is an unlisted public company. As of 30 June 2019 the company’s total assets were reported at $6.3 billion.

History

Bank Australia is an amalgamation of 72 credit unions and co-operatives. Starting in 1957 as the CSIRO Co-operative Credit Society, the bank expanded to become Australia’s first customer-owned bank in 2011, trading under the name Bankmecu.
In 2015, the bank rebranded as Bank Australia.
Former Australian credit unions that have been absorbed into Bank Australia:
Bank Australia’s position is that a responsible bank can make society better, and that where people and organisations put their money has a big impact on the world.
The company’s responsible banking policy defines how it embeds its values into the way it does business. Its full range of deposit and home lending products are certified as responsible by the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia .
Bank Australia is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact , a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and RE100 and is a Founding Partner of the Victorian Government’s TAKE2 pledge.

Clean money campaign

In 2018, Bank Australia launched their Clean Money campaign.
The campaign is based on the idea that where people put their money can do good, not harm, to people and the planet.
Bank Australia states that their money is clean because it is never loaned to industries such as:
They say they prioritise lending to:
Bank Australia has made a range of public commitments to sustainability and environmental practices.

Business operations

Bank Australia has been carbon neutral since 2011 and in 2018 became certified carbon neutral by the Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard.
Ahead of the Paris climate change talks in 2015, Bank Australia made seven commitments as part of We Mean Business platform.
In 2019 they switched to 100% renewable energy. It was the first bank in Australia to do so.

Conservation Reserve

The Bank Australia Conservation Reserve is a 927 hectare private land reserve owned by the bank and its customers. The reserve is located in Victoria’s Wimmera region and is made up of three properties and is protected from development forever through a conservation covenant. The company purchased the first of the three properties in 2008 in response to customer concerns about the environment.
Greening Australia and Trust for Nature manage the Reserve.
In 2018, Bank Australia in partnership with Greening Australia and Trust for Nature won the Banksia Large Business Award for the Conservation Reserve’s ten-year strategy .

Impact Fund

Bank Australia allocates 4% of their after tax profits to the Bank Australia Impact Fund. The fund supports projects and partnerships that “benefit people, communities and the planet” .
As part of the Fund, the Bank runs an annual customer grants program, many concerned with investment in sustainability and community renewable energy projects.

Locations

Bank Australia is 100% Australian based and has a public commitment to keep jobs in Australia.
The company’s head office is in Kew, Victoria and its National Contact Centre is located in Moe in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria.
Bank Australia has branches in ACT, QLD, NSW, South Australia and Victoria .

Products and services

Bank Australia offers a full suite of banking products including everyday banking, savings, term deposits, personal and car loans, home loans, credit cards and commercial banking services.
It operates digital banking services through internet and mobile app banking. Customers also have access to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Android Pay, Round UP, and fee free withdrawals at Bank Australia ATMs and all of the major banks’ ATMs.
As an authorised deposit-taking institution , Bank Australia is covered under the Financial Claims Scheme . Bank Australia is guaranteed by the Federal Government, as per other Australian banks.

Awards and recognition

Banksia Sustainability Award, Banksia Foundation
Business Leadership Award, Climate Alliance
CANSTAR
Mozo
Bank Australia launched a domain name dispute on 21 January 2016 for the domain names bankaus.com.au and bankaustralia.com.au. In a single-member judgement on behalf of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, the claim was denied. As the domain names in question were registered in 2011 and 2008 respectively, there was no evidence that their owner had registered them to 'prevent the owner of a name, trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name' or 'primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business or activities of another person'.