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Community

Port Augusta - a case study

ANZ's branch in Port Augusta in South Australia is an example of how employing staff that is representative of the community can help break down some of the intimidation felt by Indigenous people towards banks.

In July 2007, ANZ became the first bank in 50 years to open a new branch in Port Augusta, a busy regional centre which is home to 14,000 people, 18 percent of whom are Indigenous Australians mainly from the Bungarla nation.

An important part of making any new branch work is understanding and responding to the needs of all potential customers. In the case of Port Augusta, that includes the town's substantial Indigenous population.

"From the outset we knew that if we were to be successful in Port Augusta, we had to engage our local Indigenous people in everything we were planning," said ANZ's Regional Manager Adam Moss.

"In particular, we were especially keen on listening and understanding views on existing banking services."

Feedback from local focus groups told us our success in the area depends heavily on whether Indigenous residents feel comfortable and confident banking with ANZ.

One way to do this was to ensure there was the right mix of Indigenous representation behind the branch counter. Two of the branch's eight staff were recruited from the local Indigenous community, and this simple step has helped attract Indigenous customers.

Indigenous staff have also helped to informally coach colleagues to better meet the needs of Indigenous customers.

Service consultants Talisha Brown and Chez Reschke have shared the importance of communicating clearly through positive inclusive language, the use of story telling, "doing what you say" and recognising the central role family plays for Indigenous people.

Talisha said: "My family and friends are proud that ANZ seems to really value our community and place in Port Augusta. Being in this role has given me the opportunity to gain confidence and to encourage Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to feel more confident in the work industry."

Read more about the Port Augusta branch in the full Indigenous Home Ownership Report (PDF, 270kb).

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