Consumer loans hard to collect in mining regions
Westpac experienced an escalation in home loans and consumer loans reported as 90 days or more past due over its last half year.Mortgages 90 days past due lifted to 0.52 per cent at March 2016 from 0.42 per cent at September 2015, the bank said."Other consumer loans" 90 days past due increased to 1.42 per cent at March 2016 from 1.07 per cent six months before.Peter King, the bank's chief financial officer, said these arrears were concentrated in mining regions but he expected no material losses.