Westpac last week announced it would close a further 24 branches.

The bank closed almost 50 last year.

All of Australia's major banks - ANZ, NAB and CBA - have been closing branches because of a claimed fall in the numbers of people using them, particularly in country areas.

Westpac will close branches under the Westpac, Bank of Melbourne or St George brands in these towns and suburbs:

NSW - Glenn Innes, Kiama, Lavington, Leura, Wauchope, Cronulla and Kingsgrove.

Victoria - Bentleigh, Colac, Eltham, Greythorn, Leongatha, Morwell, Portland, Reservoir, South Yarra and Werribee.

South Australia - Fulham Gardens and Peterborough.

Queensland - Nambour, New Farm and Toombul.

Western Australia - Kununurra and University Campus.

The Finance Sector Union claims 76 jobs will be lost.

In a statement, Westpac said decisions to close branches are not made lightly and follow a shift towards digital and cashless banking.

The bank says it helps redeploy employees after closures with a majority finding new roles at the company.

Most customers are happy with online banking, while there are still options for those who prefer face-to-face services, Westpac says.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The other strategy being used by some banks including Commonwealth is to reduce the opening hours of country branches.

CBA last year rolled out the new 9.30am-1pm opening times across 90 branches around Australia.

Commenting on the latest Westpac announcement, Finance Sector Union national secretary Julia Angrisano said the closures would cripple the economies of many towns and important agricultural regions.

She said some like Gippsland's Morwell, 150 kilometres east of Melbourne, have lost ANZ, Bank Australia and CBA branches and when Westpac closes its doors in early August, only NAB will be left.

"How long before the NAB walks away and leaves the community in Morwell without any local banking services?"

"This race to shut branches has to stop and it's time the Federal Government imposed a minimum service standard on the banks to make sure customers are protected."