Emergency cash drops for flooded towns

Cashless payment systems are down in many flood-hit communities throughout Queensland and NSW leaving businesses and consumers unable to buy and sell food and essential goods.

ATM and cash transport companies are making extraordinary efforts to get additional ATMs and more physical cash (notes and coins) to affected areas to ensure that shops can remain open and people can make purchases.

Emergency cash flown in by chopper

Prosegur chartered a helicopter to deliver cash to Casino and northern NSW towns after roads around Murwillumbah and from Toowoomba, Moorooka, Nerang and Coffs Harbour were all closed.

"Casino and Byron Bay needed cash for ATMs and financial institutions had no internet," said Andrew Nathan, Prosegur Australia's Commercial Director.

"All road routes to these sites from were closed so we secured a helicopter charter from Gold Coast late Wednesday afternoon.
 
"We worked with all parties to secure resources for the flight, process an emergency order for both branches and liaised with a major financial institution to provide escorts from helipads to branches for delivery."

Armoured trucks "traversed devastated country" to get cash to Byron

Armaguard staff have gone above and beyond normal duties to get cash quickly to flooded towns.

"I’m proud of our team who ensured communities were supported even in the midst of a natural disaster," said Mick Cronin, CEO of Linfox Armaguard Group.

"One example is the swift transportation of cash from our Brisbane branch to Byron Bay."

"Working closely with the authorities to ensure our team was safe, our staff traversed the devastated countryside to ensure businesses could operate, and residents had access to cash."

"We have implemented a Business Continuity Plan in impacted areas, we are working with banks, fuel distributors and retailers to support communities, and I’m pleased to confirm that the vast majority of services have been provided as planned. 

"Though many of our team have been personally impacted, we’ll continue to do whatever is needed to provide essential cash services," said Mick Cronin.

Temporary banking and ATM for Lismore

NCR Payments and Allpoint, (provider of ATM services) is working with Summerland Credit Union to mobilise temporary banking services at Southern Cross University (SCU) in flood-devastated Lismore in northern NSW.

The ATM will be free-to-use for all cardholders linked to an Australian Financial Institution. 

NCR is also working with Prosegur to arrange extra cash deliveries to ATMs and providing assistance to local businesses where ATMs are located. 

Sixty ATMs sent for rapid deployment

Next Payments (independent ATM network) has sent sixty Automatic Teller Machines to Brisbane for rapid deployment throughout flood-hit communities in south-east Queensland.

"We have acted quickly to ensure that ATMs are deployed in communities that need access to cash now," said Tim Wildash, CEO of Next Payments.

"In times of crisis, cash is reliable and we want to ensure that businesses and residents in flood affected communities can make purchases and get the goods and services they need."

For more information and comments, please contact:

Jason Bryce, spokesperson for CashWelcome.ORG
media@cashwelcome.ORG
0428 777 727

Sandra Smith, Executive Director ATM Industry Association
sandra.smith@atmia.com
0424 300 660
 
Cash Welcome is on Facebook and Instagram.

Cash is Australia's favourite way to pay according to this online survey which has collected more than 6,000 responses.