Displaying items by tag: rural banking

In a win for rural advocacy groups, New Zealand’s five largest banks have agreed to keep regional branches open for three more years.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the Government shares the concerns of farmers around high interest rates.

OPINION: If ever there was a need to look at rural bank lending, then this is it.

Farmers are throwing down the gauntlet to politicians - hold an independent inquiry into rural bank lending or face tough questions from the farming sector.

Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.

ANZ Rural Bank Manager Roger Fannin has been working in banking for half a century all over Hawke's Bay - all the way back to the post office days. He shares his thoughts on the good times and bad times and reflects on the events that shaped his career.

Farmers may soon get their wish for an independent inquiry into rural banking.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the Government didn’t hold an inquiry into rural banking because the sector didn’t ask for one.

"Content without being confident" is how ASB rural general manager Ben Speedy described the mood among dairy farmers at this month's National Fieldays.

Rural banking will be business as usual when the ANZ National Bank rebranding takes place, says chief executive David Hisco (pictured).