NRMA customers were advised of the service ceasing last month.

Owners of the local branch Peter and Val Mellon have advised their customers that the Grenfell NRMA site will remain open, however, they will no longer provide insurance services after June 30, 2018.

“We have signed a contract with NRMA to continue operating for the next five years, this will include Road Service as NRMA Road Service has not made any changes in the way it operates,” Mr Mellon said.

“Our customers can still expect the same service from Peter Mellon Motors that they have received for the past eighteen and a half years.”

The Mellons say that it is only the Insurance Australia Group (IAG), who trade as NRMA Insurance, that have decided to pull out of Grenfell’s local NRMA branch, as well as 77 other country offices throughout the state. 

Attempts to keep the insurance service going were made at a meeting with Weddin Shire Councillors, with the assistance of Cr Phil Diprose.

In attendance at the meeting were councillors, including Mayor Mark Liebich, and NRMA Executive Manager, Distribution Partnering Luke Boyle and Strategic Agency Relationships Manager Michael Finlay.

Also in attendance was Lindsay Ballard representing Grenfell Combined Pensioners and Superannuates Association. The meeting took place in Grenfell on Friday May 11 where a petition signed by locals to keep the Grenfell NRMA branch on-line for insurance purposes was presented to the NRMA executives.

“We received a call from Council on Tuesday May 22 informing us of the outcome of the May 11 meeting with the NRMA executives, unfortunately we received a negative response from Mr Boyle who notified us that IAG remain firm with their decision to close the Grenfell office for insurance services on June 30, 2018,” Mr Mellon said.

The Grenfell workshop will remain open for vehicle services, repairs, registration checks – Pink/Blue and Brown slips, spare parts, selling/ repairing and fitting tyres, wheel alignments and NRMA roadside assistance.