The Country Mayors Association of NSW said cutbacks to Transport for NSW, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Bendigo Bank are a blow to rural, regional and remote communities.

Bendigo Bank announced it will close 28 agencies in October 2025, with a dozen in rural NSW communities with limited banking options. NSW branches to close include Grenfell and Crookwell in the state’s central west.

Meanwhile, the association was also critical of “950 jobs from Transport for NSW” set to go, as well as a restructuring proposal for DPIRD that “could result in a four per cent workforce reduction, up to 165 positions,” according to CMA chair Rick Firman,

“This week’s news follows the cutting of 100 DPIRD positions in April this year,” he added.