On 1 March, 2010 ANZ acquired Landmark Financial Services’ lending and deposit portfolios.

Both Landmark and ANZ have worked closely with farmers and rural communities for more than 150 years. The two organisations have a very similar customer base and they have the same passion for rural and regional Australia.

ANZ Group Managing Director Commercial Banking, David Hisco said: “Together with ANZ’s existing agribusiness capability, it provides Landmark customers with access to a wider range of products and services and gives us a new growth platform in rural Australia.”

Both Landmark and ANZ understand how important it is for customers to continue to deal with people who really understand their business and local and seasonal issues, as well as wider industry issues affecting agribusiness. The vast majority of LFS staff have decided to join ANZ, so clients can continue to go to their usual contact to do business.

We see this as a great fit, with real benefits for existing and future customers around Australia:

• Customers will maintain contact with a dedicated, agribusiness-focused relationship team.
• Lending customers and those with transaction accounts will see improved information availability, along with better online and telephone banking systems.
• As an ANZ customer, your deposit accounts will be supported by the Australian Government's Guarantee on Bank Deposits until at least October 2011*.
• ANZ offers a complete range of financial products and services, which will be available across Landmark’s extensive network of rural and regional outlets.

If you have any questions, please talk to your Agribusiness Manager (formerly Landmark Rural Finance Manager) or call the support team in Perth on 1800 622 015.

For media enquiries contact:
Stephen Ries
Senior Manager Media Relations
Tel: 03-8654 3659 or 0409-655 551
Email: Stephen.Ries@anz.com

*Deposits of up to and including A$1 million in aggregate held with ANZ, whether deposited in one ANZ account or a number of ANZ accounts, will continue to be automatically guaranteed without charge. For deposits of more than A$1 million, ANZ will offer customers the ability to opt-in to receive the benefit of the guarantee for a monthly fee of 0.7%pa. This is the fee ANZ will be charged directly by the Federal Government as an AA rated bank.