Australian consumers and businesses wrote an average of 16.3 million cheques a month during the 2012/13 financial year. This number has fallen from 18.9 million a month in 2011/12 and 21.7 million a month in 2010/11.The latest Reserve Bank data on cheque payments shows a 24.9 per cent decline in non-financial cheque issuance over the past two years (cheques issued by financial institutions are recorded separately).The value of these cheques was an average of A$60.2 billion a month in 2012/13 - down from $66.7 billion a month in 2011/12 and $73.6 billion a month in 2010/11. This is an 18.2 per cent fall in value over two years.In April, the Australian Payment Clearing Association issued a report in which it estimated that at the current rate of decline "it could be predicted that cheques will no longer be used in Australia in 2018." The report, "Towards the Digital Economy", outlines a number of efforts APCA is making to help manage the decline of cheques. It is working with the industry to make the cheque processing system more efficient. It said it was unlikely that the industry would commit to invest in the "dematerialisation" of cheques, using imaging technology, but it is looking at more cost-effective efficiencies.It is also assisting the government with the development of SuperStream - an e-commerce standard for superannuation contributions and roll-overs.And it is helping National E-Conveyancing Development Ltd with the development of its electronic conveyancing system.