Fortitude Valley Embarks on Community Bank Campaign

(PRWEB) March 13, 2008 -- A group of local Fortitude Valley residents are planning to make 2008 the year of Community Bank (http://www.bendigobank.com.au/public/community_bank/index.asp)® in their region. A steering committee is being formed in partnership with Bendigo Bank (http://www.bendigobank.com.au) and will campaign for the establishment of a Community Bank® branch in Fortitude Valley.

A Community Bank® branch would provide the Fortitude Valley community with a superior banking service, offering all banking and finance products and services (http://www.bendigobank.com.au/public/Personal/index.asp), as well as the knowledge that a significant percentage of the branch profits would remain in Fortitude Valley.

At this stage the focus will be on explaining to Fortitude Valley residents about how the Community Bank® model works and why it is important that many local Fortitude Valley people pledge their support to become not only a shareholder, but a customer.

There are 30 communities in Queensland, and over 200 communities throughout Australia, which have established their own Community Bank® branch.

These communities are not only supporting fantastic community projects (http://www.bendigobank.com.au/public/community/community_initiatives.asp), but also paying dividends to their shareholders.

In the past nine years, the Community Bank® branches have:

* Returned more than $16.8 million to local communities and projects;

* Paid more than $12 million in dividends to more than 50,000 local shareholders;

* Spent almost $50 million in their local communities on salaries, rent, cleaning and other operating costs; and

* More than $10 billion of banking business.

As those Community Bank® branches continue to grow these contributions and dividends will continue to grow.

A Community Bank® branch offers all services that a major bank offers, including:

* Personal savings and investments;

* Home loans and personal loans;

* Business solutions;

* Commercial finance, leasing, financial planning;

* Superannuation, internet and phone banking.

For further information on the project, or to play a part in the project, please contact the local committee.

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