October 8th, 2026Celebrating 25 years of local, community banking

Community Bank Paradise Point celebrated its 25th birthday on October 1 – a milestone that provides an opportunity to look back at where its story began and just how far the local community-owned company has come.

Back in 2000, Paradise Point was a community determined to bring banking services back to the local area. What followed was 18 months of hard work, persistence and an extraordinary display of community spirit.

More than 200 local shareholders came together to raise over $500,000, turning an ambitious community idea into reality. On October 1, 2001, Community Bank Paradise Point officially opened its doors, becoming the very first Community Bank in Queensland.

There was tremendous pride in what the community had achieved, but few could have imagined just how significant that beginning would become.

What started with a group of locals wanting to restore an essential service to Paradise Point has grown into an organisation that has now invested more than $4.7 million back into the region.

Over the past 25 years, that funding has supported countless local organisations, projects and initiatives across education, health and wellbeing, sport, research, the arts and community development. It has helped strengthen grassroots organisations, create new opportunities and support initiatives whose impact will continue to be felt for generations.

Pimpama-Ormeau

The organisation itself has grown too. From one branch in Paradise Point, it now has Community Bank branches at Paradise Point and Pimpama-Ormeau. In June 2026, it also opened a new office space at Griffith University, which is home to the newly established Paradise Point Community Foundation.

Paradise Point Financial Services is also now a certified social enterprise – formal recognition of the community-first purpose that has been at the heart of the organisation since its earliest days.

While plenty has changed since 2001, the concept behind the Community Bank remains remarkably simple: locals choose to bank locally, the business grows, and more funding can be invested back into the communities it serves.

Behind the milestone are the hundreds of people who have contributed to the story – from the original shareholders and steering committee members who backed an idea 25 years ago, to generations of directors and staff, community partners and, importantly, the customers who continue to support the Community Bank today.

Twenty-five years on, Community Bank Paradise Point remains a powerful example of what can happen when a community backs itself. Clockwise from top, the original steering committee, board and staff members