News

The Mutual Bank is proud to be the presenting partner of Maitland Riverlights 2025, a spectacular celebration of culture, creativity and community spirit in the heart of the Hunter. Maitland Riverlights is more than just a festival. It’s a vibrant, family-friendly event that brings people together to connect, share stories and celebrate diversity. It perfectly aligns with our ethos of supporting regional prosperity and creating inclusive experiences for all. The program will feature an exciting array of cultural workshops, live performances and interactive activities held across various locations throughout the city of Maitland. Our CEO, Mark Williams, said Maitland Riverlights is a truly magnificent event that brings our community together to connect, swap stories and share joy. “Events like Maitland Riverlights energise our city centre, support local businesses, and contribute to the vibrancy and economic growth of our region,” said Mark. “We’re thrilled to help shine a light on Maitland and everything that makes it such a special place to live, work and visit.” Save the Date! Get ready for a week-long celebration from Tuesday 7 October and culminating with the main event on Saturday 11 October. More details about the program will be released closer to the date but you can stay up to date by visiting the Maitland City Council website: https://www.maitlandriverlights.com.au/. We can’t wait to see you there!

The Mutual Bank is partnering with local community groups to help ease the pressure many local families are facing with the current cost of living.This September our branches and Head Office are collection points for donations of everyday items which charities regularly give out to assist those in need.Our Chief Member Officer Matthew Dunnill said The Mutual Bank is guided by its values of Integrity, Respect and Care and had proudly been partnering with community organisations for a number of years to support local people in need.“Our staff, Members and the wider community have always been incredibly generous - donating a few items each, which together makes a big difference,” he said.“We hope that the community will once again get behind this year’s Mutual Care Appeal by dropping even just one extra item into their shopping trolley with the thought it will help ease someone else’s burden.”Suggested donation items include:• Baby items such as wipes • Personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, deodorant and soap • Long-life products such as milk or custard • Tea and coffee • Pasta and pasta sauce • Canned fruit The Mutual Bank’s branches across the Hunter will be collecting items to donate to:• Dungog Shire Community Centre • Carrie’s Place • Maitland Region Community Support • Soul Hub Newcastle• Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services • Our Circle Maitland The Mutual Bank has been helping people thrive since 1888.

We will be reducing our variable interest rates for existing Members' Home Loans and Business Loans following the Reserve Bank’s decision on Tuesday 12 August 2025 to decrease the official cash rate by 25 basis points. “The Mutual Bank’s interest rates are regularly reviewed to ensure we remain both competitive and sustainable,” said CEO Mark Williams. “With the RBA’s decision to reduce the official cash rate, we want to ensure our Members with a variable rate home or business loan can access rate relief as soon as possible, so we have quickly resolved to pass on the rate cut in full to our existing borrowing Members,” he said. Members will be informed about their new repayments in coming weeks. Our deposit rates remain under review. “We hope that the reduction in variable home loan interest rates will continue to ease the pressure for home and business owners after what has been a challenging rate increase cycle, with no change last month,” said Mark. Financial hardship support: Members affected by cost-of-living pressures are encouraged to discuss their loan with our friendly team. Please contact us if you need support to meet your loan obligations. Based on your circumstances, our team can assess your eligibility for a range of support options that may be available to you, such as loan deferrals, interest-only periods, or other appropriate relief. We are here to help you, if you need support please reach out to us. New here, and looking for a better deal on your home loan? Our Budget Home Loan has won a Mozo Experts Choice Home Loan Award in the Low-Cost Home Loan Category three years in a row. Make the switch and apply online today.

Scams Awareness Week is back from 25–29 August, and this year we’re building on the success of last year’s branch visits by taking our message even further into the community. Last year, our team visited our branches to speak directly with Members about scams - how they happen, who they target and how to stay safe. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with Members sharing their own experiences and learning how to protect themselves and their loved ones. This year, we’re continuing that momentum with an event designed to open up the conversation, raise awareness and empower our community to take action. What’s Happening This Year? Our team will be hosting “Tea and Tips: Staying Safe from Scams” - a special event on Tuesday 26 August from 1.00 pm to 2.30 pm at the East Maitland Bowling Club. Members are invited to come along for a cuppa and hear from our CEO Mark Williams and a panel of experts as they share insights into common scams and how to avoid them. Our panel of experts will include:  Tamar MacDonald - Head of Financial Crimes, The Mutual Bank Giselle Lindley - Head of Financial Crimes, Indue Roger Darvall-Stevens - Partner, Fraud & Forensic Science, RSM Australia Andrew Connelly - Director, Fraud & Forensic Science, RSM Australia Our Financial Crimes Team will be available to chat, answer questions and hand out resources like the Little Black Book of Scams and our handy scam prevention fridge magnets. Why It Matters Australians lost $2 billion to scammers in 2024. The good news is the amount lost has dropped from the previous year which the National Anti-Scam Centre’s Targeting Scams Report attributes to the growing impact of coordinated efforts by government, industry, law enforcement and community organisations to disrupt scam operations and protect consumers. The top five scam types in the report were investment, romance, payment redirection, remote access and phishing scams, which jointly accounted for more than 70 per cent of the total combined losses. By sharing stories and starting conversations, we can help others spot scams before they happen. We want our Members to feel confident, informed, and supported. How You Can Get Involved Attend our Tea and Tips event – RSVP by Friday 22 August or by calling us on 1300 688 825. Stop. Check. Protect. – use this simple message to stay scam-aware Share your story – talking about scams helps others avoid them. We’re proud to be part of this national campaign and invite all Members to join us in protecting our community.

The Mutual Bank was proud to support Maitland and Kurri Kurri Hospitals in celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025, held from 6-13 July. This year’s national theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy,” placed local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth at the heart of the celebrations. This year marked the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week, and the opportunity to spotlight the strength, resilience, and leadership potential of young Indigenous community members. Leading the way were School-Based Trainees—Annaliese Schonig-Jenkinson (Annie), Tahlia-May Massie, and Lilly Buckland—who played key roles in organising the week’s events. Annie also proudly served as the Master of Ceremonies for the launch. Kirsten Lawrence, Acting Clinical Nurse Educator – Cultural Safety for Maitland and Kurri Kurri Hospitals, coordinated engagement with local schools, facilitating cultural activities including traditional basket weaving and dance workshops. Students from Maitland Public School participated with great pride, performing their first-ever cultural dance for hospital staff and families. Teacher, Dave Wells, expressed his pride in the students, noting their enthusiasm and commitment. The school’s choral group was also invited back to perform at a future hospital event. Our Chief Member Officer Matthew Dunnill said The Mutual Bank was proud to sponsor the cultural engagement activities. “Supporting the next generation to carry forward cultural knowledge and pride is something we’re honoured to be part of,’ he said. Special guests included CEO of Mindaribba Local Land Council, Tara Dever, staff from Bungaree and Aunty Lorraine Martyn and Aunty Lorraine Dederer who performed the cake cutting with Annie. Learn more about National NAIDOC Week and The Mutual Bank’s Sponsorship program.

After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Edgeworth Branch (including the ATM) on 30 September 2025, which will be the last day of trading.    This decision was not made lightly given that we remain firmly committed to providing a physical branch network for our Members.    Why is the branch closing?  The Mutual Bank must ensure that our Members’ funds are used prudently and invested where the greatest value can be provided to our Members.  Given the Edgeworth Branch has only seen 20 Members visit in the past six months, it is no longer viable to continue its operations.  We intend to redeploy these funds into our physical branch network, including refurbishment of existing branches and assessing future locations for new branches and also continuing the uplift of our digital and virtual capabilities.  What will happen to the current staff?  We are pleased to inform you that no staff will lose their jobs because of this closure. All staff members will be redeployed to our other branches within the network, ensuring that their expertise and dedication continue to benefit our Members.  What about the Members who used the Edgeworth Branch?  We are committed to keeping our Members informed throughout this transition. Members who frequently use the Edgeworth Branch have been contacted personally.   Members are welcome to visit our Mayfield Branch and can check our website for the locations of other branches. We are keen to maintain our physical presence and are actively looking into opening another branch in the Hunter Region to better serve our Members.  We understand that this closure may cause inconvenience to some Members, and we sincerely apologise for any disruption this may cause.  We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we strive to provide the best possible service to our Members.   What is the future of The Mutual Bank’s branch network?  As a customer-owned bank, branches are an important part of our service delivery and our strategic approach of providing Members with a choice of channels to do their banking.  We are actively looking for better positioned locations in the Hunter to best serve our Member base.  The Mutual Bank is investing in our branch network with a refurbishment plan and have just completed our East Maitland Branch renovations.