BankWAW Banking as it should be. July 2026 As we reach the midpoint of the year, I’m pleased to share this latest edition of SmartLink and provide an update on how we are continuing to support our customers and communities across Southern NSW and North-Eastern Victoria. Like many Australians, our customers are navigating a challenging economic environment. While inflation had eased through parts of last year, price pressures have re-emerged in recent months, contributing to higher interest rates and keeping cost-of-living pressures front of mind for many households and businesses. In this environment, our focus remains on providing practical support, reliable service and competitive products, while staying true to our customer-owned values. Over the past six months, we have remained disciplined in how we manage the organisation, so that we are well placed to support customers now and into the future. This includes maintaining a strong focus on service, managing our products responsibly and making considered investments to improve the banking experience for customers. One example was our decision to delay passing on this year's RBA cash rate increases to variable loan customers, with effective dates set on average around six weeks after each announcement. This gave borrowers additional time to adjust their household budgets before higher repayments took effect. Another key area of focus is balancing security and convenience. Last year, we introduced Confirmation of Payee, which checks whether the account name, BSB and account number entered for a payment match the details held by the recipient’s bank. This gives customers another prompt before making a payment and can help reduce the risk of scams and mistaken payments. It is one of several steps we are taking to strengthen our digital banking services while keeping them simple and accessible. At the same time, our commitment to community remains as important as ever. Whether through local initiatives such as the Uniting Winter Blanket Appeal, our Banking on Trees program, or our broader partnerships and sponsorships across the region, we are proud to play a role in supporting the communities we serve. I would like to acknowledge the dedication of our staff, management team and Board, whose efforts support our ongoing focus on customer service, community involvement and the responsible management of the organisation. Most importantly, thank you to our customers for your continued support. As a customer-owned bank, we are committed to serving you responsibly and we value the trust you continue to place in us. I hope you enjoy this edition of SmartLink and find it informative and useful. Best regards, Michael Mack Chief Executive Officer SmartLINK July 2026 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Smartlink. In this edition: • Banking on Trees • BankWAW is here for our Communities • Major Sponsorship - Murray Bushrangers • Digital Wallet Scams • Customer Owned Banking • Winter Blanket Appeal
BankWAW Banking as it should be. July 2026 BankWAW is proud to support our community with a range of programs and initiatives that align with our values as an organisation. Our purpose is bigger than being a customer owned bank. We want to create a positive social impact by putting customers and community at the centre of everything we do. Here are some of the things we’re doing to create that positive social impact: • We have entered a new partnership with Murray Bushrangers for the 2026 season. • We also continue as major sponsors of the Hume Football and Netball League and the Ovens and King Football and Netball League. • We have provided sponsorship and support for inclusion through events in education, theatre, music and the arts. For example, our sponsorships of The Tallangatta Secondary College Awards, The Albury Wodonga Theatre Company, The King Valley Art Prize and The Albury City Band. • We foster partnerships with organisations that strive for sustainable initiatives, for example our close relationships with Indigo Power, Landcare and Parklands Albury Wodonga. We continue to partner with our community to deliver positive social outcomes and help build stronger ties in Southern NSW and North-Eastern Victoria. Please visit www.bankwaw.com.au/About-Us/Community/ Sponsorships to find out if your group or club is eligible to apply for sponsorship. BankWAW is here for our Communites Banking on Trees In conjunction with Wodonga Landcare and Parklands Albury Wodonga, we support and run the annual BankWAW Banking on Trees Day. This allows us to fulfil our goal of planting a tree for every new account or loan opened with BankWAW. We encourage all staff, customers, and other community members to attend the tree planting day, which this year will be on Sunday 16 August. BankWAW’s Banking on Trees program contributes towards revegetating the bushland of our local communities, creating a better climate, supporting biodiversity and better living conditions for our local communities.
BankWAW Banking as it should be. July 2026 BankWAWMajor Sponsorship - Murray Bushrangers 2026 Season BankWAW is proud to be the major sponsor of the Murray Bushrangers for the 2026 season. Each year, the Murray Bushrangers welcome more than 100 athletes aged 15 to 19 from across Southern NSW and North-Eastern Victoria. The program provides a high‑performance environment that prioritises both athletic excellence and personal development. The club’s mission is to identify and develop talented community footballers and guide them through the elite talent pathway, with a strong emphasis on professionalism, resilience and leadership. Many athletes progress to national competitions, AFL and AFLW club academies, and draft selection. The Murray Bushrangers proudly represent local clubs, volunteers and staff across the Goulburn Murray region, Southern NSW and North-Eastern Victoria, collectively servicing a community of more than 600,000 people. Our sponsorship provides BankWAW with direct access to hundreds of local families and young athletes, enabling us to make a meaningful impact within our community. Anyone with a mobile phone or an email address will have come across a phishing scam. You know the type – a message from Australia Post requesting payment to release a parcel, or from Linkt for a road toll, from your trip to Melbourne three weeks ago. They make it so easy to arrange payment; all you have to do is enter your card details… and the scammer has all they need to go on a shopping spree. Not satisfied with making purchases online, scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. These days, they want to load your card details into digital wallets such as Apple or Google Pay. Once you click the link in the phishing message and share sensitive information, scammers can capture your card number, expiry date, and security code. They may trick you into providing one-time passcodes sent by BankWAW. With this information, scammers can instantly add your card to a digital wallet on their own device, enabling fast, contactless transactions without access to your card, and regardless of whether you have a digital wallet of your own. Remember, it’s impossible for a scammer to load your card into a digital wallet, unless you give them the information they need to do so. To protect yourself: • Never click on unsolicited links or share verification codes with anyone. • If you receive a text or email requesting payment and you think it’s genuine, go to the official app or website instead. • If you receive a verification code, read the message carefully to understand why it has been sent. • Contact BankWAW directly if you are unsure about a request. Staying alert and cautious is your best defence against these scams. Digital Wallet Scams
BankWAW Banking as it should be. July 2026 BankWAW is owned by the people who bank with us. We have more than 18,000 customers, 12 service centres and $700 million in assets and we directly contribute to local community initiatives that build social and environmental programs in our region. But what is customer owned banking? The Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) is the industry association for Australia’s customer-owned banking institutions. COBA’s vision is for more Australians to benefit from a resilient banking sector that is centred on people and communities. What is best for customers? This is the priority of customer owned banks and what sets them apart from investor owned banks. Also known as building societies, credit unions and mutual banks, customer owned banks provide the same products and offer the same government protections as investor-owned banks. But with customers at the centre of all they do, customer owned banks have a proud history of putting customers first and supporting local communities. Customer owned banks have the most satisfied customers. This is why more than 5 million Australians choose customer owned. Learn more: www.customerownedbanking.asn.au/ consumers/choose-customer-owned/ With the colder months upon us, it is a comfort that we have a warm place to live and a comfortable bed to sleep in each night. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone. To help those who do not have these comforts, each year we partner with ABC Goulburn Murray and Uniting to help those in need of warmth in Winter. You can help by visiting your local BankWAW Service Centre and donating new blankets, bedding, winter woollies or a monetary donation. You can also donate directly to Uniting online at www.unitingvictas.org.au/ local-winter-gne Customer Owned Banking Winter Blanket Appeal
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