Further in the newsletter you will see the details of some awards Queensland Country Bank has achieved recently with an online product review platform, WeMoney. This recent review by WeMoney, has resulted in Queensland Country achieving eight awards in different product categories, along with an overall award of “Customer-owned Bank of the year”. We are very proud of this recognition when we are being compared with many other financial institutions and is a clear demonstration that the products we offer are delivering value for Members.

In addition to these recent awards, we have engaged with an external company to review the Net Promotor Score of all banks in Queensland. Net Promotor Score is a customer satisfaction metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a company to others. I am very pleased to share with you that the outcome of this external review has confirmed Queensland Country has the best NPS of any bank in Queensland. The purpose of sharing this information with you is to demonstrate that customer service receives considerable focus and is something we take seriously at Queensland Country, and to extend our appreciation for recommending us to your family and friends.

As a Queensland wide bank, we are regularly looking for ways to support not-for-profit organisations and sporting associations, that can also assist us to lift our brand awareness as we continue to grow and expand our services through the state. Such an opportunity presented itself over the past few months, and through these discussions we reached agreement to become the principal sponsor of Queensland Cricket. A key benefit of the Principal Partnership proposal with Queensland Cricket is the significant brand exposure the organisation will receive across Queensland, particularly in South East Queensland. The exposure also extends to significant opportunities across our Branch Network and key regional communities within Queensland.

An important feature of the Queensland Cricket sponsorship is being the principal partner of the Brisbane Heat male and female teams in the Big Bash League. The Brisbane Heat is the most popular BBL franchise in the league and the grand final winner from 2023. This partnership commences on the 1st July and we are looking forward to supporting the Brisbane Heat in the upcoming BBL competition. This sponsorship will also help Queensland Cricket continue to make the sport of cricket more accessible for girls and boys across the state.

The second announcement I would like to share with you is that we will be extending our banking services to the community of Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. We currently operate a lending centre in this community, and due to the support we have received to date from Members, we will be expanding our services to include a branch. We have secured a location in Maroochydore and will progress with building our new branch over the next few months that will enable our Members and consumers in this location to access to our full branch services. This is one example of how we continue to invest our profits to expand services to Members.

Thank you for your continued support of our organisation.

Aaron Newman
Chief Executive Officer

A winning partnership unveiled

Get ready to witness history in the making as Queensland Country Bank proudly announces its exhilarating collaboration with the Brisbane Heat as their esteemed Principal Partner.

Driven by a deep-rooted passion for community enrichment, this vibrant three-year partnership with Queensland Cricket and the Brisbane Heat is set to ignite a sense of shared values across the state.

“Queensland Country Bank has a strong focus on supporting communities that aligns perfectly with Queensland Cricket, which is a not-forprofit association supporting grassroots cricket across the state. Brisbane Heat’s focus on uniting families corresponds to Queensland Country Bank’s commitment to helping our members live better lives. Together, we’re extending beyond the cricket pitch and forging a profound impact through our local communities and beyond.” Aaron Newman – CEO Queensland Country Bank

Join us as we embark on this extraordinary adventure, where every boundary scored and every cheer raised fuels our commitment to making a meaningful impact in the local communities we call home. Get ready to witness greatness, Queensland – because with Queensland Country Bank and Brisbane Heat on the same team, the sky’s the limit when we imagine more!

“The Brisbane Heat’s purpose is to bring families together through fast, fun and entertaining on and off field Big Bash action. We’re excited to kick off this winning partnership and play our part in fulfilling Queensland Country Bank’s vision to become Queensland’s best regional bank. This is just the beginning of what will be an incredible three years of growth, experiences and opportunities for both Queensland Country Bank and the Brisbane Heat. We’ve already got some exciting plans in the works, so watch this space as we head into an exciting season of cricket in Queensland.” Terry Svenson – CEO Queensland Cricket

Queensland Country Bank is celebrating another slew of award wins, including our most exciting yet for 2024 – we’ve been named Customer Owned Bank of the Year in the 2024 WeMoney Banking Awards!

But that’s not all – we took home eight additional awards in the WeMoney Banking Awards, including Best Flexibility – Home Loans, Best Rewards Credit Card, and Lender of the Year (Customer Owned Bank) – Car Loans, and were finalists in four more categories.

WeMoney is a personal finance app that helps people track their finances in one place, monitor their credit score but also provides strong support from a large financial community for free. The WeMoney Awards recognise the highest performing products or brand in each awards category at a given time.

These awards come off the back of our existing product and service recognition from Canstar, Mozo, and RateCity.

Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Newman, said the continuous awards from multiple independent bodies in recent years are a testament to our member-first model.

“Such accolades and recognition demonstrate the success of the member-first approach, which enables us to reinvest our profits back into our communities rather than paying shareholders,” said Mr Newman.

“This means our core focus is about helping our Members achieve their financial goals, which is more important than ever in today’s economic climate.”

As the cost of living continues to soar and people become more cautious about their banking choices, Mr Newman said Queensland Country Bank is meeting Members’ growing and evolving needs.

“We’ve seen a rise in our Members using phone and internet banking, and with our call centre based in Queensland, we’re well-equipped to meet this growing demand,” said Mr Newman.

“However, we also recognize the importance of providing face-to-face services for those instances when Members want to come into their local branch for that in-person contact and advice.

“At a time when many banks are scaling back their services, we’re committed to investing in regional and rural communities and ensuring our Members have access to the financial solutions and support they require, whether that be online or in-person.”

Our full list of awards:

Full List of 2024 WeMoney Awards

• Winner - Customer Owned Bank of the Year
• Winner - Best for Flexibility - Home Loans
• Winner - Best Rewards Credit Card
• Winner - Outstanding Customer Service - Credit Cards - Back to back (2 years)
• Winner - Lender of the Year (Customer Owned Bank) - Car Loans
• Winner - Best for Quality - Car Loans - Back to back (2 years)
• Winner - Transaction Account of the Year (Customer Owned Bank)
• Winner - Excellent Rates & Fees - Transaction Accounts
• Winner - Outstanding Customer Service - Transaction Accounts - Back to back (2 years)
• Finalist - Best for First Home Buyers - Home Loans
• Finalist - Best Home Loan Package - Home Loans
• Finalist - Outstanding Customer Service - Home Loans
• Finalist - Best for Value - Credit Cards

Other awards for 2024

• Rate City – Best New Car Loan
• Rate City – Best Green Car Loan
• Mozo – 2024 Experts Choice Awards – Pensioner Account
• Mozo – 2024 Experts Choice Awards – Investor Home Loan
• Canstar 2024 Outstanding Value – Investment Home Lender
• Canstar 2024 Outstanding Value – Variable Investment Home Lender
• Canstar 2023 Outstanding Value – Green Car Loan
• Canstar 2023 Outstanding Value – Green Reno Loan

We’ve done it again – we really are a “Great Place to Work”!

It’s official, Queensland Country Bank really is a great place to work! We’ve been awarded the honourable certification of being a Great Place to Work for the second year in a row, in the 2024 Great Place to Work Trust Index ® Survey.

The certification recognises Australian organisations that demonstrate great company culture and provide an outstanding experience for employees.

To receive this certification, the survey poses a range of questions about our organisation, from working conditions to workplace camaraderie – and of the 270 employees who completed the survey, 87% of our staff said they would call Queensland Country Bank a great place to work!

Creating a workplace culture where employees feel heard and have the opportunity to be involved is a high priority, and for our staff that also means the opportunity to make the Member proud.

Area Manager for the Mackay region, Bill Paton, reflected, “I believe that happy employees create happy Members, and we strive to ensure our workplace is focused on being a supportive and friendly atmosphere.

This in turn makes it a great place to work, whereby we are building lasting relationships.” Being recognised for a second year in a row demonstrates that employees at Queensland Country Bank are living the values we’ve set for ourselves: Be Genuine, Put People First, Embrace Change and Bring Your Best.

Maleny Branch Manager, Eden Torpy, said “At the end of the day, it’s our amazing people who are inclusive, caring and genuine who truly make this a great place to work. I really am proud to tell people I work for Queensland Country Bank.”

Makayla and Hayden, a young couple from Gordonvale with a young daughter, Miah- Louise, began their journey with Ronald McDonald House when their newest addition, Sofia, arrived early to the world following a difficult pregnancy for Makayla. Sofia was born with both a left and right hemothorax and required immediate treatment that required an emergency transfer to Townsville University Hospital. Ronald McDonald House offered Makayla, Hayden and Miah-Louise not just nearby accommodation for easy access to the hospital, but comfort, solace and amazing facilities for their stay while Sofia received treatment for her condition.

“The Volunteers were just amazing. They were always available for a chat, and they made us feel so welcome and at home straight away. To make her feel welcome, they even gave our daughter a plush dog which she named ‘Ollie’- she is absolutely obsessed with it!” said Makayla.

As the days turned into a couple of weeks, baby Sofia’s condition improved and she grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment. On Valentine’s Day, the family bid farewell to Townsville as they prepared to return to Cairns Base Hospital, their hearts overflowing with gratitude for the support they received.

Read the full story.

The 2024 round of Good for Good Community Grants is now open as of 1 July.
Eligible community group or not-for-profit organisations. You’re invited
to apply for funding of between $5,000 and $30,000 to deliver projects that make a practical difference to the lives of people in Queensland communities.

Apply now!

Over $16,000 has been shared between four charities chosen by staff to support in the 2023/2024 year.

Each year, our staff have the opportunity to make a difference by participating our Workplace Giving program. We’re excited to announce our staff raised over $8,000, which has been matched by Queensland Country. The total, being over $16,000, will be split equally between four charities, chosen by staff to support for the 2023/2024 year – The Royal Flying Doctors Service, Share the Dignity, Dementia Australia, Angel Paws Townsville.

The initiative is in its fifth year at Queensland Country Bank, with 88% of staff across the organisation donating $1 or more per fortnight to the Workplace Giving Program. This affordable, individual contribution collectively results in a significant donation and ensures the chosen charities can continue their important work in the communities they service. We’ll continue to share the stories of our chosen charities and how the funds raised continue to support the amazing work they do – visit our website regularly for updates.

Read about our donation to Share the Dignity.

Protect yourself from scams

Scammers are becoming more sophisticated. They can often impersonate a person or business for weeks, months or even years to defraud you out of your money, or to turn you into an unwitting money mule. Scams are also constantly changing, so it’s important to be vigilant.

10 ways Australians are scammed each year

Don’t let scammers trick you out of your hard-earned funds. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Get to know these scams in more detail, and know the signs to look out for on our website.

Read more about these scams on our Fraud and Scams Hub.

Queensland Country Bank’s Money Mentors offer personalised financial education to help you take control of your finances.  With a wealth of financial knowledge, Money Mentors provide you with on practical banking solutions tailored to your income, stage of life, aspirations and needs.

Whether you’re working towards your financial goals such as loan preparation, debt reduction, basic account structuring, budgeting, or financial education, our Money Mentors are here to support you. As your life circumstances change, your financial priorities may change. Money Mentors work to build long-term relationships, helping Members imagine more for their financial wellbeing.

Reasons Money Mentoring could be for you:

• Guidance for First Home Buyers
• Loan Preparation
• Grant Guidance
• Government Home Funding Program Information
• Reduce Your Debts
• Streamline Your Bill Management
• Create A Budget Plan
• Financial Checkup
• Effective Account Structuring Guidance

Achieve your financial goals, book a Money Mentor today. Book at your local branch or make an appointment online.

The guidance provided by Money Mentors is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute personal financial advice.

You probably log into your mobile banking app regularly, and use the basics like making payments and checking your SmartBudget account all the time. But once you start tapping around, there’s even more to discover - did you know about these features?

Lock your card

Misplaced your card? Temporarily lock it until you find it again (or confirm it’s really missing!).

Menu > Card Management > Select card > “Lock”

Setup alerts

Get on-the-go notifications by text message or email every time you receive a payment, a direct debit comes out, you hit a certain balance in your account or hit the maximum number of payWave payments on your card each day. Specify your alert type, how you want to receive it and you’ll get real-time updates to your phone.

Menu > Settings > Alerts

Let us know you’re travelling overseas

Register your travel plans with us to make sure we know it’s really you buying gelato or Gucci sunglasses.

Menu > Overseas travel > Register your travel plans

Share your account details

Need to send your bank details to your friend but don’t have a payID? Open the account, click on the “…” in the top right corner, then tap “Share” to send your BSB and account number via text message or other messaging program.

Setup a PayID

Better yet, create your PayID so that you can share your email address or phone number instead.

Menu > Pay > Manage PayID > Create New PayID

Manage your transaction limits

You can increase your transaction limits (up to a maximum amount) or decrease your limit per day for internal and external transfers and bill payments.

For larger requests, you’ll need to contact us.

Menu > Settings > Transaction Limits

Change your shortcuts

You can manage your bottom menu shortcuts on your dashboard to select the items you use most.

Drag and drop the icon into your bottom menu from Dashboard Shortcuts for quick access to things like Card Management, Pay, Accounts and more.

Set up a quick transfer

Pay between two of your accounts regularly? You can setup a quick transfer for set amounts between $50 and $200, to transfer money without even logging into your app.

Menu > Pay > Quick Transfer Management

If you have any suggestions for how we can continue to make our app even better, your feedback is welcome – email us your ideas to info@queenslandcountry.bank. We’re working on more improvements which will be released later in the year – stay tuned!