Westpac and St.George to operate in the same building as part of corporations co-location business model

Armidale will follow Inverell and Tamworth in having Westpac and St.George banks in one central location.

Westpac will move a short distance into the St.George building on Beardy street in May.

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Since a 2008 merger, St.George Bank has been part of the Westpac corporation.

The co-location approach aims to put two branches into one single location in cases where the two buildings are located close together.

A spokesperson from the Westpac Banking Corporation said both banks will continue to operate independently under one roof.

"Co-locations are an important part of our strategy, bringing two branches together under one roof to maintain a strong presence for both brands, ensuring our customers will continue to have access to all the services they have today, supported by the same people," the spokesperson said.

"Our new Westpac and St.George Armidale co-location branch will open at the site of our current St.George branch at 155 Beardy Street."

Westpac closed its branch at Moree in February.

The Westpac Banking Corporation had a long-standing presence in the region with the bank in Moree being founded in 1876.

Locals were furious at decision to remove a bank branch presence from the community, leaving many vulnerable with no access to banking services, other than digitally.

A Westpac spokesperson previously said they were shutting the Moree branch due to a significant shift in people "choosing" to bank online which has resulted in a decline in the number of customers using branches across their network.

"This removal of people's banking choice, with zero community consultation will leave a big impact on customers and small businesses who are now left without access to the fundamental aspects of banking," Moree mayor Mark Johnson said.

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