Wide Bay goes for bank status
Wide Bay Australia, a listed building society, will seek to adopt "bank" status, the Bundaberg-based firm disclosed yesterday.Martin Barrett, chief executive, clarified in an email that the timing "will be within the next 12 months", with "no rush from my perspective, given all our other initiatives and priorities."Barrett said; "We are very early in conversations around our name and we are just embarking upon a 'brand strategy' journey. "There are very many strong points regarding our existing name, particularly in our core markets of Gympie and Mackay. "However, as we get further away from these regions the brand becomes less recognised and understood… [We] will certainly have some significant conversation and debate."