The federal government has imposed a moratorium on branch closures until the end of July, 2027.

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Some 36 percent of bank branches in regional Australia have shut their doors since 2017.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the moratorium came after NAB accepted a new agreement to not close regional branches, with the Commonwealth Bank and Westpac extending their previous arrangements.

A moratorium was already in place at ANZ, following their takeover of Suncorp.

“If we want a strong national economy, then regional Australia needs to be a big part of the story, and that means making sure that banking services are available to the businesses and workers and people and communities of regional Australia,” Dr Chalmers told reporters on Tuesday.

“We also want to make sure that there are still face-to-face services for people who need them in the bush and people for whom digital alternatives may not necessarily work.”

The Labor government has also signed an agreement with the major banks to increase their commitment to services available at Australia Post outlets.

Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and NAB have all reached an agreement to provide banking services at post offices, also called Bank@Post, with ANZ also agreeing to terms to join the scheme.

Macquarie Bank and HSBC have also started negotiations with Australia Post to sign on.

“This means that we can shore up the financial outlook for Bank@Post, but also, importantly, provide greater certainty and services and choice to customers in rural and regional areas,” Dr Chalmers said.

“There is more work to do to secure the best version of banking services for people in regional Australia, but these two announcements are very big, very substantial, very important announcements in their own right.”

Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh said the industry was committed to customers in regional areas.

“While Australians continue to shift to digital banking and payment platforms, banks recognise some customers still prefer face-to-face services,” she said.

“This is a major commitment to make sure regional customers can continue to visit a branch and access services if they wish to do so.”

By Andrew BROWN, AAP