Australia - Regulator comments on macroprudential changes

Wayne Byres, Chairman of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)

Remarks reported Via Reuters:

  • Goal of prudential measures announced last week "not to determine house prices"
  • Says it is a tactical response to current market conditions
  • We can and do will more or less as conditions evolve

More:

  • Should be able to assert, with credibility, that the banking system can withstand reasonably foreseeable adversity
  • APRA won't delay introduction of "unquestionably strong" for finality on Basel
  • Says to issue information paper on "unquestionably strong" capital requirements in middle of year
  • Biggest issue in ensuring capital is appropriately allocated is whether and how we adjust the risk weights for housing-related exposures
  • Says that should not be taken to imply that there will be a dramatic increase in capital requirements for housing lending
  • Says capital adequacy framework needs to address the concentration in housing lending that has built up in the banking system

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