Canberra residents are demanding that essential government services resume accepting cash, raising urgent concerns that the rapid decline of physical money is excluding vulnerable members of the community.
Personal Stories Highlight a Systemic Problem
The issue was starkly illustrated by the experience of local resident Frank Kelly. After losing his wallet overseas and relying on cash to return home, Mr Kelly was unable to order a replacement driver's licence from Access Canberra because the agency would not accept his money. "I filled the form in, and they said, 'credit card', I said, 'sorry, didn't you hear? I lost my wallet, which had two credit cards and my licence'," he recounted.
This is not an isolated case. Retired tradesman Dominic Vilardi found himself in a similar predicament after selling a spa and wanting to use the cash to pay his car registration. An official at the cashless Access Canberra centre directed him to buy a temporary gift card from a shopping mall or post office. "To me, it's just ridiculous from a government department... an institution that gives out the paperwork, sends you out the bills, then they say, 'Oh no, we don't want your cash'. To me it's wrong," Mr Vilardi stated.
The Wider Impact on an Ageing Population
The move towards a cashless society is creating significant hurdles for older Australians who rely on physical currency for budgeting and daily transactions. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the share of payments made with cash has plummeted from about 70 per cent in 2007 to just 13 per cent in 2022.
Jenny Mobbs, CEO of the Council on the Ageing ACT, confirmed this has been a persistent issue. "Particularly areas like Belconnen where Access Canberra is not close to a post office where they can go and get cash... it is a difficult thing," Ms Mobbs explained. She highlighted the compounding challenges of bank branch and ATM closures, which make accessing cash itself more difficult for less mobile individuals.
The situation stands in contrast to other states. While the ACT's Access Canberra centres refuse cash, the majority of service centres in New South Wales and Victoria continue to accept notes and coins.
A National Commitment Tested by Local Reality
Despite the local policy, the federal government and the RBA have publicly committed to maintaining a cash-inclusive economy. At a recent Public Sector Economics Conference in Canberra, officials emphasised that many vulnerable Australians still rely on cash and that physical money supports the stability of the financial system.
The conference program explicitly noted: "In Australia, maintaining the public's access to cash is a priority for the government and the RBA." This national priority, however, is not being reflected in the operations of key ACT government service providers.
For residents like Frank Kelly, the over-reliance on technology is a genuine concern. "I have a phone that I use it to talk on and take photographs with, but... if you lose your phone, what happens then, [or] if your phone goes flat?" he questioned, pointing to the fragility of a fully digital system for those who are not technologically adept.
As the digital transition accelerates, the call is growing for the ACT government to align its service delivery with federal commitments and ensure that no resident is left behind.
