Cash drives to Rotorua provided while Murupara ATM reinstalled

A front end loader was used to steal an entire ATM from the Pine Drive NZCU building in the early hours of June 3. Photo / File

An ATM will be reinstalled in Murupara following the recent attempted theft as well as a free transport service into Rotorua to access cash while the repairs take place.

A front end loader was used to steal an entire ATM from the Pine Drive NZCU building in the early hours of June 3. The money machine was later discovered abandoned and intact in the Kaingaroa Forest.

NZCU confirmed the reinstallation today which followed a review that included considering staff safety, Murupara's need for access to cash, and working with the community to identify steps to help prevent similar situations from happening in the future.

In a statement NZCU Baywide Sales, Marketing and Channels general manager Andrew Quayle said: "As a customer owned credit union our desire, where feasible, is to maintain a community presence where our customer owners reside and provide them banking services.

"We have listened to the needs of the Murapara community following the attempted ATM theft and acknowledge the struggles with no access to cash in the town since the incident," he said.

Quayle said staff safety remained paramount and as such no cash would be held inside the branch.

"This ensures meeting the needs of customer owners, and the local community, can be balanced with staff safety by way of a secure ATM machine accessible 24/7."

Until the ATM is reinstalled, NZCU Central said they would be offering their NZCU Central customer owners a limited free transport service, once a week, to their Rotorua branch to access cash.

Details about the service will be provided via the branch on Friday June 14.

Quayle said they had updated Murupara's community leaders and their response had been very positive.

"With them we will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and months," he said.