Giving credit where it's due: the delivery of banking and financial services to Indigenous Australians in rural and remote areas

Australia's financial system is undergoing a period of substantial structural change. While these changes may have had positive impacts on most consumers, they have had a number of negative impacts, particularly for low income consumers of financial services and for people located in rural and remote communities. This discussion paper analyses the proposition that an alternative model for the delivery of financial services or deregulation of the financial sector is required to protect the interests of low income groups, and in particular, Indigenous people. The paper explores current banking and financial services in the context of Australia's financial system, the current supply of banking and financial services to rural and remote communities, and the impact that the lack of access to these services has on the relatively increasing Indigenous population of these communities.