Consumer credit bureau Veda says it estimates that consumer credit demand increased by 4.1 per cent over the past year. Veda recorded growth for the first time in over a year in its index, based on queries by lenders of its database. The company said this "reflects personal loans being taken out in greater numbers to finance a period of car-buying, with a sharp rise in motor vehicle purchases [being] recorded over the past year."It said the credit demand trend had moved upwards during the December 2012 quarter, driven by demand for personal loans.Veda said home loan enquiries fell by 0.7 per cent over the year to the December quarter, with there being large differences in the housing markets across the country.  Mortgage enquiries have picked up strongly in the Northern Territory and Western Australia but they fell in New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.Demand for credit cards in the December quarter fell by 1.6 per cent compared with the same period the previous year, but demand showed the usual seasonal spike during the September quarter.