These stakes tie up about $5.3 billion of capital, draining returns at a time when banks are being forced to deploy capital more efficiently in response to regulators pressuring returns by forcing leverage to be reduced. ANZ 's CEO , Shayne Elliott , says the bank plans to grow by selling more home loans in Australia , after years of raising growth opportunities in Asia , after finding itself left behind by its rivals . New South Wales will be particularly on its radar , despite the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority ( APRA ) restrictions on lending to property investors . Mr Elliott says , " We have the most diverse book of all the four banks and have the least weighting towards mortgages and we can afford to grow it " . At the same time , ANZ 's head of banking operations , Mark Whelan , says the bank is concerned about the supply - demand balance in property markets and has thereby reduced lending to developers , so as to avoid losses that could occur when the market slows down . ﻿﻿
ANZ 's CEO , Shayne Elliott , says the bank plans to grow by selling more home loans in Australia , after years of raising growth opportunities in Asia , after finding itself left behind by its rivals . New South Wales will be particularly on its radar , despite the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority ( APRA ) restrictions on lending to property investors . Mr Elliott says , " We have the most diverse book of all the four banks and have the least weighting towards mortgages and we can afford to grow it " . At the same time , ANZ 's head of banking operations , Mark Whelan , says the bank is concerned about the supply - demand balance in property markets and has thereby reduced lending to developers , so as to avoid losses that could occur when the market slows down . ﻿﻿