Australia Yearbook - 2009-10

27
FINANCIAL SYSTEM
The financial system in Australia can be thought of as having three overlapping components.
The first consists of financial enterprises (such as banks) and regulatory authorities (such as
the Reserve Bank and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority). The second consists of
financial markets (e.g. the bond market) and their participants (issuers such as governments,
and investors such as superannuation funds). The third is the payments system (that is, the
cash, cheque and electronic means by which payments are effected) and its participants (e.g.
banks). The interaction of these three components enables funds for investment or
consumption to be made available from savings in other parts of the national or international
economy.
This chapter provides a summary of the structure and activities of the three components of
the Australian financial system.
This chapter contains the article The Global Financial Crisis and its Impact on Australia.
09-10 2009-10
Statistics contained in this chapter are the most recent available at the time of
preparation. Where available, the ABS website provides
access to more recent data.
Users can browse tables, time-series spreadsheets, data cubes, information papers,
associated products and media releases that relate to topics covered in the Year
Book and download the information from the ABS website at no cost.