| Late-2000s recession around the world |
The business community in Australia and New Zealand had been affected by global financial crisis for a number of reasons. Although regional banks generally have good liquidity requirements, the commercial wing of the industry was overexposed to sovereign wealth funds and governments made few provisions for the drop off in trade with China. Additionally, many institutions of the New Zealand economy are regulated by Australian authorities, as cross-border banking has been allowed to gather pace since the late 1980s.
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There has been a credit market crisis in the Australian economy since early 2008.[1] The taxation system is currently being reviewed in order to reduce its complexity and increase the tax concessions made for investment income, although it remains uncertain what — if any — financial products will be excluded in the proposed changes.
In July 2008, the National Australia Bank cut a A$850 million bond sale by two thirds following investor flight and opted for a 100 percent write-off on a clutch of "senior strips" of AAA-rated collateralized debt obligations (CDO) worth A$900 million.[2][3][4] Banks began avoiding lending for land, to focus on refinancing existing clients, and small developers held on to their properties as second-tier loan costs (up to $15 million) were, reportedly, unaffordable since February.[5] Housing prices consequently fell in the second quarter for the first time in about three years, restricting consumer confidence to its lowest level in 16-years.[6] High profile casualties of the credit crunch include Allco Finance, MFS, ABC Learning, Babcock & Brown and Centro while numerous other institutions have lost a significant part of their value.[7]
Sources such as the IMF and the Reserve Bank of Australia predict Australia is well positioned to weather the crisis with minimal disruption, sustaining more than 2% GDP growth in 2009 (while many Western nations go into recession). The World Economic Forum recently ranked Australia's banking system the fourth best in the world, while the Australian dollar's 30% drop is seen as a boon for trade, shielding from the crisis, and for helping to slow growth and consumption.[8][9]
Some analysts have predicted the continuing decline of trade in 2009 could put the economy into recession for the first time in 17 years.[10] Unemployment will increase because of slower growth, declining profits and government revenues.[11]
New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's quarterly survey showing New Zealand's economy contracted 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2008 and Treasury figures suggested the economy also contracted in the June quarter putting New Zealand in a technical recession.[12] The Treasury says the economy could recover in the second half of the year under the impact of high dairy prices boosting farmer incomes and cuts to personal tax rates, which come into effect on Oct. 1.[13] About 23 financial companies in New Zealand have filed for bankruptcy in a year. Housing starts in New Zealand fell 20 percent in June, the lowest levels since 1986.[2] Excluding apartments, approvals dropped 13 percent from May. Approvals in the year ended June fell 12 percent from a year earlier. Second-quarter approvals dropped 19 percent. The figures suggest a decrease in construction and economic growth. House sales fell 42 percent in June from a year earlier.[14] The New Zealand Treasury concluded that the country's economy had contracted for a second quarter based on economic indicators, putting New Zealand in a recession.[15] New Zealand's central bank cut rates by half a percent arguing the economy was in recession.[16] New Zealand's GDP declined by 0.2 percent in the second quarter putting the country in its first recession in a decade.[17]
The economy emerged from recession in mid-2009, with the second-quarter GDP report showing the economy grew by 0.1 per cent on the March quarter.[18]