Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, has welcomed the NAB’s $2.4 million investment in Tamworth’s new Connect Centre Hub.

The Hub will be home to Retail, Business Banking, Agribusiness and Private Wealth services, together with the immediate creation of about 20 new jobs, and will be home to 60 NAB staff.

Staff from the NAB’s existing Tamworth West and Peel Street branches will be relocated to the new central hub, crucially without the loss of a single position.

“The continuity of jobs in the Tamworth region is vital during this time of drought, both for the staff involved and the customers,” Mr Joyce said.

“Employees need the reassurance which job security brings and customers, especially those on the farm, rely on those agribusiness staff as they are local, have often been dealing with the customer for a number of years and hence understand their financial position.

“As I believe in and continue to fight for decentralisation, I lobbied former NAB CEO Andrew Thorborn in April 2018 to ask what further the NAB could do in this space and so I am very happy with their actions today.

“On the back of the opening of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (AVPMA) in Armidale, this move shows that not only is decentralisation working but businesses support it too - drawing jobs, people and wealth to regional areas like the New England.

“I hope, like the relocation of Homes North to Tamworth, there will be more decentralisation to Tamworth.”