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4 from 4 - Queensland Country Bank takes Canstar's Customer Owned Bank of the Year - First Home Buyers Queensland award for fourth consecutive year

Queensland Country Bank

FOUR IN A ROW

Queensland Country Bank takes Canstar’s Customer Owned Bank of the Year – First Home Buyers Queensland award for fourth consecutive year

 

Queensland Country Bank has made it four from four, winning Canstar’s Customer Owned Bank of the Year – First Home Buyers Queensland award for the fourth consecutive year.

 

The 2026 award continues an extraordinary winning streak for the Queensland-based, member-owned bank and recognises its combination of competitive home loan pricing, product features and support for Queenslanders navigating the journey into their first home.

 

This year, Canstar assessed 48 providers and 648 home loans, evaluating lenders across five key stages of the first home buyer journey, from planning and saving for a deposit through to applying and settling, managing a home loan, accessing support and eventually closing the loan.

 

Queensland Country Bank CEO Aaron Newman said winning the award once was an achievement, but receiving the recognition for four consecutive years demonstrated the Bank’s sustained focus on first home buyers.

 

“Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial and personal milestones in life, and we know it can also be one of the most daunting,” Mr Newman said. “To be recognised by Canstar as Queensland’s Customer Owned Bank of the Year for First Home Buyers for a fourth consecutive year is something our entire team is enormously proud of.

 

“One award is wonderful recognition. To win four years running tells us we are consistently delivering the combination of value, products and personal support that Queensland first home buyers need.”

 

Canstar’s 2026 assessment found Queensland Country Bank combined competitive home loan pricing with a comprehensive range of features, highlighting the performance of its packaged variable home loan and features including offset facilities, redraw access and flexible repayment options.

 

Canstar also highlighted Queensland Country Bank’s strong service proposition and its network of 29 branches across Queensland.

 

Importantly, the award assesses much more than a single home loan or headline interest rate. It evaluates providers across the entire first home buyer journey, with 70 per cent of the assessment focused on managing the home loan, including costs, management options and features. Applying and settling accounts for 15 per cent, while planning to buy, ongoing home loan support and closing the loan each account for a further five per cent.

 

Eligible home loans are also assessed at multiple observation points across six months, designed to recognise providers delivering sustained value rather than short-term promotional pricing.

 

“First home buyers need more than a competitive rate,” said Mr Newman.

 

“They need someone to help them understand the process, their options and what home ownership will mean for them financially beyond settlement day,” he said. “Our approach is to support Members through that entire journey – from those first conversations about deposits and borrowing capacity to getting the keys and then managing their home loan for the years ahead.

 

“This award belongs to our people as much as it does our products,” he said.

 

“Buying your first home is something people remember for the rest of their lives. Being trusted to help a Member achieve that milestone is a privilege, and our team never loses sight of that.

 

The recognition comes at a significant time for first home buyers, following the expansion of the Australian Government’s 5% Deposit Scheme from October 2025, which removed participant limits and income thresholds and increased property price caps.

 

ABOUT Queensland Country Bank – serving communities for 55 years

For 55 years, Queensland Country Bank has been a Member-owned bank, starting in 1971 in Mount Isa. The Bank offers a uniquely enriching banking experience by integrating exceptional customer service with deep community engagement and supports over 100,000 Members, employs 430 Queenslanders, and has given back $3 million to local communities through its Community Good for Good grants program since 2005. The team at Queensland Country Bank prioritises simplicity, speed, and personalisation in their services, supported by digital tools and knowledgeable staff across a 29-branch network across the state.  For over half a century, the Bank has proudly invested in the regions it serves, offering a combination of financial expertise and unwavering support for local development.

 

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Kath Rose: [email protected] or call 0416 291 493

 

Contact details:

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Kath Rose: [email protected] or call 0416 291 493