Finance in Focus Portal
Banks commit to protecting regional services
The government has secured new commitments from major banks to maintain essential banking services in regional Australia, following a significant decline in branch numbers in recent years. Since 2017, 36 per cent of regional bank branches have closed, raising concerns about access to financial services in rural communities.
Home lending picks up as investor activity grows
Australia’s housing loan market grew in the December 2024 quarter, with the total value of new loan commitments reaching $87.2 billion, up 1.4 per cent from the previous quarter and 16.0 per cent higher than the same period in 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
CommBank releases Household Spending Insights Index
The CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index remained unchanged at 153.4 in January 2025, as Australian consumers took a break from spending following a surge during the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day sales.
Parliament passes Scams Prevention Framework
Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones has announced the successful passage of the Scams Prevention Framework through Parliament.
Inquiry into the Digital Transformation of the Workplace – Final Report
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education, and Training has published the final report on its Inquiry into the Digital Transformation of the Workplace.
OAIC: Joint statement on building trustworthy data governance frameworks to encourage development of innovative and privacy-protective AI
Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind joined data protection authorities from Korea, Ireland, France and the UK in signing a joint declaration to reaffirm commitment to establishing data governance that fosters innovative and privacy-protective AI.