Fleurieu to benefit from new Bendigo Community Bank in Victor Harbor

The new Board of Business Victor Harbor Member Fleurieu Community Enterprises Ltd, operators of the Aldinga, Willunga and Goolwa Community Bank sites, have made the strategic decision to acquire and relocate the corporate Victor Harbor Bendigo Bank branch in order to extend Community Banking across the entire Fleurieu Peninsula.

Fleurieu Community Enterprises Ltd (FCE) has been steadily building its presence on the Peninsula after shareholder approval in October 2020 to merge two former Community Bank companies, FCE & AlexInvest into the new entity.

Planning for growth

FCE approached Bendigo Bank to discuss the opportunity to acquire the Victor Harbor branch, offering greater scale, shared resources and an enhanced ability to provide grants, sponsorships and scholarships in keeping with the Bank’s purpose to strengthen local communities and feed into prosperity, not off it.

The acquisition of the Victor Harbor Branch will create a more viable and larger business across the Fleurieu and the new location will provide customers and staff with a more modern environment in which to conduct business and is one of the first branches to be designed in the Bank’s fresh new livery.

On the move

The changes mean that the existing Victor Harbor Branch will be closing on Friday 26 March and relocating to their new Victor Harbor site at Connect Victor Business Hub at 138 Hindmarsh Road, Victor Harbor where it will re-open on Monday 29 March.

Chairman of Fleurieu Community Enterprises Ltd, Ron Logan said “Our new Community Bank Victor Harbor branch will bring increased scale for a combined business that we firmly believe will make us the logical bank of choice for all community-minded businesses and customers here in Victor Harbor and right across the Fleurieu.

“Our purpose is to feed into local community prosperity by way of delivering grants, sponsorships and scholarships and this decision is reflective of this commitment. Just by doing your banking with us means we can build on the returns we have been able to give back for community strengthening projects to date and we can continue to support local initiatives and community groups throughout the City of Victor Harbor from our new location, as our Bank has always done.

Convenient, feature rich location

Planning and construction at the new branch at Connect Victor Business Hub is well advanced, with Fleurieu Community Enterprises also able to work in the new location and with anchor tenants, including a café expected to also open in coming weeks.

Mr Logan said “Our new premises at Connect Victor Business Hub is conveniently located not far from our old branch and provides better access with great parking right outside for customers, tradespeople and other community-minded businesses across the district. This strategic decision supports plans for growth so we can continue to support local business with their plans and aspirations from the one location.

“The new premises will incorporate a business hub/coworking space with casual seating areas and Wi-Fi alongside three rooms, including a Board room which will be available for hire by local people and businesses needing somewhere to conduct their meetings in a professional environment.

Perfect hub for sea-changers who mean business

“With increasing numbers of busy professionals relocating or flexibly working in places like Victor Harbor, we expect Connect Victor Business Hub to attract both regular and casual users alike and have further committed to making the meeting space available free of charge for Not-for-Profit enterprises who will be able to host evening events, AGMs and fund raisers to support their objectives.

“These are positive changes that aim to ensure that our expanding local Community Bank network is positioned to strengthen Fleurieu communities long into the future” Mr Logan concluded.

The Bendigo Community Bank model, which sees profits returned directly to the local community that helps generate them, has contributed almost $1.3 million to South Australian communities in the last financial year comprising more than $126,000 in donations, $576,000 in grants and $605,000 in sponsorships for initiatives decided by each of these local communities themselves