Banks should ensure rural South Australians – like those living in the South East – have access to cash, a state MP says.

One Nation’s Sarah Game introduced a bill to SA Parliament last week to protect the right of South Australians to pay cash for all government services, including council fees and charges.

While her Public and Audit (Cash Payments) Amendment Bill 2024 would compel designated authorities, including SA’s 68 councils, to accept payments of legal tender – in the form of cash – for any transaction under $10,000, Ms Game said banks also have “a role to play” in ensuring cash survives in rural areas.

“I believe banks have an obligation to provide cash services for their communities, especially rural communities,” she said.

Ms Game, who visited Naracoorte and the wider South East last month, said rural areas were particularly vulnerable to having their right to use cash stripped away.

“Due to the closure of more bank branches, rural customers are being forced to travel further to banks to access their own money,” Ms Game will tell her upper house colleagues.

“To add insult to injury, people forced to use other banks’ ATMs – because their bank has left town – also get charged for the privilege of accessing their own money.

But they have no choice.

“So, not only do we support the right of people to use cash, we also support their right to access their own cash – without being expected to travel unreasonable distances to do so.

“If banks stop people from accessing their own cash, they effectively stop people from using cash.”

Ms Game said her office had been “inundated with support” since her campaign for cash gained publicity.

“Earlier this year I alerted the State Government to an incident involving a consumer who attempted to pay for their vehicle registration in cash at the Services SA outlet in Mount Barker, but was turned away,” Ms Game said.

“This is an example of what sort of practices would be outlawed via my Bill.”

Ms Game said her bill would “not”¦ target private businesses”.

“But we do encourage private businesses to keep using cash for the sake of their customers, but for themselves as well, because it actually gives them an operational advantage,” she said. ­

Ms Game said her Bill was a “first step” in fighting for the rights of people to use cash, and said the July 19 Crowd Strike incident, which temporarily brought the working economy to a halt, was an indicator of what a cash-free future could look like.

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.