[D9] Rural debt by lender

D9 RURAL DEBT BY LENDER

Data are as at June 30 and based on information supplied by lending institutions. These data are affected from time to time by changes in coverage, particularly as changes in the information systems of lenders allow for more accurate identification of rural loans.

From 2020, data for 'All banks' and 'Pastoral and other finance companies' are based on returns collected from each lender participating in the Economic and Financial Statistics (EFS) collection. These data are collected by APRA from banks and registered financial corporations that have $2 billion of business credit or more.

‘All banks’ data comprise lending by banks and from 1994 to 2019 are taken from statistical table D8, ‘Bank Lending to Business – Selected Statistics’. From 1994 all bank bill acceptances on behalf of the rural sector are included in these data, while prior to 1994, bank bills held by the four majors are included, though bank bills accepted by the four majors but not held by them were generally not included. The ‘All banks’ series is affected by a number of other changes in coverage and definitions. Notably from 1994, there was a break in bank lending due to the addition of lending for fishing, forestry and hunting. These data are derived from returns collected by APRA under the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001.

Prior to 1987, the series ‘Pastoral and other finance companies’ only includes data for pastoral finance companies and prior to 1984, included some loans other than to rural producers which were not separately identifiable. From 1987, the series also includes data from other selected finance companies, and from 2003, data from all other finance companies. The ‘Pastoral and other finance companies’ series is derived from returns collected by APRA under the Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001.

‘Other government’ includes advances made under the War Service Land Settlement and Agricultural Re-establishment Acts and those made from state and federal funds. Prior to 1981, the series includes state banks’ general banking business to the rural sector. Data include government agency business of state banks. This series is derived from a Reserve Bank survey of government lenders.

For ‘Life insurance companies’, up to and including 1983, data are from ABS Cat No 5621.0; thereafter, until the end of the series, data are from the Insurance and Superannuation Commission Quarterly Bulletin of Statistics.