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Bendigo Bank has inked a deal with Suncorp Bank to combine their Australian ATM networks, according to a statement Bendigo released 9 Dec. The partnership is pending legal and regulatory approvals, but the companies expect to complete the deal by March. With the partnership, the combined ATM network would have 1,600 machines, the statement notes. "The networks operated by the two banks are complementary, with Bendigo's network weighted towards Victoria and regional centres, while Suncorp is strong in Queensland, Sydney and other capital cities," David Foster, Suncorp CEO, said in the statement, which notes customers from both banks would benefit from free access to more ATMs. Both Bendigo and Suncorp did not respond to CardLine Global requests for comment. Their partnership follows others that have resulted from Reserve Bank of Australia ATM-fee reforms. Earlier this year, National Australia Bank and Cuscal, a provider of wholesale and transactional banking services to financial institutions, combined their ATMs to form a network of 3,100 machines, and Commonwealth Bank and BankWest formed the country's biggest network with approximately 4,000 ATMs.
