One benefit for the big Australian banks in the current market turmoil is the retail deposit flight to quality.For the year to September 2008, Westpac increased term deposits by 55 per cent to $40 billion, with at-call funds increasing four per cent to $88 billion.The combined retail deposit growth was 16 per cent, powered by a second half gain of eleven per cent.Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly said the bank was out of the market from a pricing point of view in the first nine months of the year.Chief financial officer Phil Coffey said in the last three months customer deposits matched loan growth.Australian residential lending increased at an above system 14 per cent for the year to $145 billion, with a consistent seven per cent growth in both halves.Other consumer lending though was weak, with credit card outstandings up just three per cent to $7.5 billion, with overdrafts down two per cent to $3 billion.Across the Tasman, the second half results reinforced the rapidly slowing New Zealand financial conditions.Net loans increased nine per cent for the year to NZ$47 billion, with only three per cent of the growth in the second half.Deposits also gained nine per cent to NZ$27 billion, with the second half growth a sluggish two per cent.In Australian dollar terms, residential lending increased five per cent for the year to $24 billion, overdrafts five per cent to $1.25 billion and credit cards six per cent to $937 million, with all three consumer books falling by one per cent in the second half.Non-housing lending increased by a fifth to $16.4 billion, with consistent growth in both halves.Westpac's lending market share of 19 per cent and deposit market share of 21 per cent in New Zealand was consistent with the previous year. Coffey said delinquency data is not indicating problems in the consumer portfolios, either mortgages or personal, although it does reflect the more difficult conditions in New Zealand.Australian 90-day-plus housing product arrears increased 58 per cent to $219 million for the year, with other products up 26 per cent to $445 million.New Zealand 90-day-plus housing product arrears increased 57 per cent to $58 million for the same period.