Latest News

Winter sunshine flooded Longmuir Playing Fields on in July for the annual CFMEU Miner’s Cup rugby league shield primary school carnival, where close to 350 young players turned out for a day of fun competition. Unity Bank along with Westfund and Mine Super are supporters of the Gala Day and went along to show their support for the local communities with showbags for all the participants. St Xavier’s School, Gunnedah, claimed the coveted shield, with a quinella in the open boys’ division won by the Dragons team, with the Eels runners-up. The league tag championship went to Gunnedah South Public School, with a team from Walgett Community College Primary School the runners-up in their debut performance at the carnival. The Player of the Day Kerry Dennis played her heart out for Walgett, where the team left at 5am to make it in time for the carnival. Organiser Ross Whittaker was pleased with the number of players turning out for a day of league in perfect weather. We had at least 100 more players than last year and apart from a break during COVID, the competition has been running for about 30 years,” he said. The original concept was to give small schools especially the chance to enjoy a gala day with the opportunity to field a team by combining players from nearby small schools. Special thanks must go to the Mining & Energy Union, Unity Bank, Westfund and Mine super plus all associated sponsors who make this day possible every year.” Representatives from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter were on hand during the day, to remind spectators of its value in a crisis. “When there has been an accident there is no better sound than the sound of a chopper flying in to help,” Ross said. “The Mining and Energy Union members contribute more than a million dollars to the chopper each year through workplace contributions with a further million dollars donated by other means.” Players came from Werris Creek, Bingara, Barraba, St Michael’s Manilla, Narrabri, Gunnedah Public, Gunnedah South, St Xavier’s, Walgett, Boggabri and for the first time Carinya Gunnedah fielded a team. Every player received a Steedon football, courtesy of NSW Country League, with the winners awarded trophies and the runners-up a medallion. A great day was had by all participants and everyone is looking forward to next year where they will strive to take out the CFMEU Miner’s Cup rugby league shield 2024. Story provided by Marie Hobson – Gunnedah Times

Budgeting is something that many of us don't like to consider as we think it will tie us down. But if you really stop and think about it, budgeting is simply a means of looking at your income and expenditure and deciding on what is most important to you. Once you identify what you want to achieve, a budget is a tool to help you get there. Tracking your spending Where does all my money go? Very few people can answer this question accurately. Learning how and where you spend your money is the first step in managing your finances. Keep a financial diary Select a defined time period eg a month or 4 weeks; Record all of your spending in a notebook, create as many categories as you need e.g. petrol, lunch, transport etc; Ensure you include small items such as snacks, drinks, parking meters, tolls, donations etc; At the end of the month, use the category totals as part of your annual budget; You may choose to look for any spending that was spontaneous, wasteful or a luxury that you could do without in the future. How to curb impulse buying Next time you are tempted by an unplanned purchase, ask yourself: Do I really need it? Will I really use it? Will I still like it next month/next year? Is the price likely to be reduced at an end-of-season sale? If I don't buy it now, do I want it so much that I will make a special trip later to come back and buy it? Planning a budget A budget can help you plan your expenses and save for things you want. Managing credit or simply covering expenses is not always easy but following these steps will help you control your finances: Add up your earnings each week (or fortnight or month) Subtract regular payments or basic expenses; Rent or mortgage repayments; Food and household needs; Utilities (phone/electricity/water); Transport expenses (travel passes, petrol, car registration, maintenance); Health needs; Insurance (health, house, car, travel etc) You should include yearly expenses such as car registration and insurance in your budget. You can divide these totals by 52 for the amount to budget for each week (or divide by 26 for the amount to budget each fortnight or by 12 if your budget is calculated on a monthly basis). Subtract regular payments for lifestyle bills and expenses: Entertainment; Clothing; Personal grooming; Home appliances If you are not sure as to how much you spend; either make an estimate and review it after 3 months; or consider tracking your spending for a month. Allocate additional funds to cover Loan repayments; Additional superannuation contributions The amount of money that is left can be used to buy things that you want or to save. Online budget calculator To help you plan your budget, you can utilise our budget calculator which takes into consideration all of your general expenses and gives you an idea as to how much you could save. Check our online calculators here. Saving Saving may appear to be difficult and disciplined, but think of the feeling of being able to afford to buy something you have wanted for a long time. Here are some tips to help you on your way. Set yourself a savings target Aim to save 10% of your gross annual income. This breaks down to 5% for short-term goals and 5% for long-term goals. Tip - the 10% rule If you've never been a successful saver before, start off slowly. Leave committing to medium or long-term goals for a while until you're confident a saving strategy is within your reach. Set yourself one short-term goal - perhaps 3 months away - that requires only a small amount of cash; Then set aside 10% of your income each week in a separate savings account; At the end of 3 months, withdraw the cash to pay for your small goal - perhaps a weekend away or a new piece of clothing - and if there is any money left over make that the first instalment in your next savings goal. Develop a safety buffer The key to successful money management is to put funds aside during the good times and to minimise financial stress during bad times. Remember to allow for unexpected debts and emergencies e.g. illness in the family, loss or breakage of possessions, career interruptions etc. Tip - how much is enough? Singles and couples should consider developing an emergency fund equal to 2 months take-home pay in case of retrenchment or emergencies. Those with young families should aim to build up an emergency fund equal to 3 months take-home pay. Quick budget reminders Don't make your budget so tight that it's impossible to keep; A budget is not set in stone. It is there to help, not hinder you. A sign of a successful budget is one that is flexible during tough times and able to reward you when your prospects are brighter; If you blow your budget one month, try to make up for lost finance in areas that are more flexible e.g entertainment or eating out; Revisit your budget every 3 months to see if there are any areas you can tighten up to improve your financial flow. Explore a Range of Savings Accounts for Your Financial Goals - Learn more.

We are urging our Members to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in 'Hi Mum' scams. The scammer will claim they have lost or damaged their phone and are making contact from a new number, most often contact is made through WhatsApp.     Once they develop a rapport, the scammer will ask for personal information or money for urgent expenses as they can't access online banking.  If you are concerned about the security of your account or believe you have been scammed, contact us immediately on 1300 36 2000. To find out more information about this scam, visit ACCC here. 

With the increase in online scams, it’s crucial to learn about different scam types and prevention strategies to safeguard your financial well-being. An impersonation scam involves scammers posing as trustworthy individuals to trick victims into sharing sensitive information or taking actions that can result in financial harm. Impersonation scams can take various forms, such as: Email Phishing: Scammers send emails mimicking legitimate sources, urging recipients to click links, download files, or provide personal data like passwords and credit card information. CEO Fraud/Business Email Compromise: Scammers impersonate high-level executives, coaxing employees into financial transactions or revealing confidential details, leading to substantial corporate losses. Romance Scams: Fraudsters create fake personas to forge romantic connections, exploiting trust to request money by fabricating financial crises. Government Impersonations: Scammers masquerade as officials, using threats of legal action or fines to manipulate victims into making payments or sharing personal data. Social Media Impersonation: Scammers create fake profiles on social media platforms, often using the names and photos of real individuals, to deceive users into believing they are interacting with someone they know and trust. They may then ask for money or personal information. Lottery and Prize Scams: Scammers falsely declare victims as lottery winners, demanding upfront payments or personal data to claim fictitious prizes, resulting in financial loss or identity theft. To avoid falling victim to impersonation scams, its important to exercise caution and follow these guidelines: Confirm Identities: Independently verify contacts' identities, particularly if they seek personal or financial data. If in doubt, hang up or delete the message and call us on 1300 36 2000. Question Urgent Appeals: Be cautious of urgent requests pressuring swift decisions; take time to evaluate without haste. Use Official Contact Information: Reach out through established official contact details instead of clicking links in emails. Educate Yourself: Familiarize yourself with common scam tactics, especially for unexpected requests involving sensitive info or payments. Secure Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords for different online accounts and change frequently. Enable two-factor authentication where possible, and regularly update your devices and software to stay protected against potential breaches. You should regularly monitor your bank account for any unusual or unauthorised transactions. If you suspect you've been targeted by an impersonation scam or any other scams, call us immediately on 1300 36 2000.

Many of our Members are well known to our staff. We recognise their voices because we have served them for many years. Therefore, we also know when someone is trying to impersonate them. Last week, we received a call from someone who was trying to impersonate a Member, whom we happen to know very well. Our staff picked up on it straight away and stopped the scam immediately. Shortly after, the Member contacted us to advise that she had provided her personal information to someone in a suspicious call. We advised the Member that we had stopped the scammer from accessing her bank account. We ceased internet banking access and all banking activities before the scammer was able to access her account online. The following day, the Member visited our branch and updated all of her personal information. She was very grateful that our staff know her so well, and that we were able to pick up on something like this. Every day, we work hard to educate our Members to be wary of suspicious calls from unknown sources. Please remember that we will never ask you for your bank account details over the phone or online. If you believe you have been scammed, please call us on 1300 36 2000 immediately.

We are urging our members to be wary of tax themed scam texts, emails and calls requesting confidential tax information. These scammers often disguise themselves as individuals working for the ATO or other government agencies such as MyGov and urge the recipient of the call, text, or email to make a payment by clicking a link. Common types of Financial Tax Scams include phishing scams, phone scams, identity theft and fake charities. To protect yourself from these scams, please follow the advice from ACMA: Do not click on any links in unexpected texts or emails. Do not provide personal information over the phone. Do not rely on the contact information given by the caller, or within the text or email. Please note: the ATO will never threaten arrest, urge immediate payment of a fine or tax debt, nor will they cancel or suspend your Tax File Number. If you are unsure if a call, text or email is legitimate, please contact the ATO on 1800 008 540. If you are unsure about the security of your account or believe you have been scammed, contact us immediately on 1300 36 2000. For more information, please visit https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-07/scam-alert-end-financial-year-tax-scams