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BANKING ACT 1959 - SECT 5

Interpretation

Definitions

  (1)   In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:

"account-holder" means an entity (as defined in section   960 - 100 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 ) that holds in its name, or keeps in its name, (either alone or jointly with another entity) an account or covered financial product with an ADI.

"action that is likely to have a detrimental effect on financial system stability in New Zealand" includes an action that prevents or interferes with an outsourcing arrangement.

"ADI" is short for authorised deposit - taking institution.

"administrator" , of a body corporate's business, means an administrator appointed under subsection   13A(1) to take control of the body corporate's business.

"advance" includes loan.

"appointed auditor" means an auditor appointed in accordance with the prudential standards.

"approved form" means a form approved, in writing, by APRA.

"APRA" means the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

"APRA member" has the same meaning as in the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 .

"APRA Special Account" has the same meaning as in the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 .

"APRA staff member" has the same meaning as in the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 .

"ASIC" means the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

"Australia" includes the Territories.

"Australian business assets and liabilities" , of a foreign ADI, has the meaning given by subsection   11E(3).

"authorised deposit-taking institution" means a body corporate in relation to which an authority under subsection   9(3) is in force.

"authorised NOHC" means a body corporate:

  (a)   in relation to which an authority under subsection   11AA(2) is in force; and

  (b)   that is a NOHC of an ADI or ADIs.

" Banking Act statutory manager" has the meaning given by subsection   13A(2).

"banking business" means:

  (a)   a business that consists of banking within the meaning of paragraph   51(xiii) of the Constitution; or

  (b)   a business that is carried on by a corporation to which paragraph   51(xx) of the Constitution applies and that consists, to any extent, of:

  (i)   both taking money on deposit (otherwise than as part - payment for identified goods or services) and making advances of money; or

  (ii)   other financial activities prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this definition.

"business day" means a day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday or bank holiday in the place concerned.

"civil penalty provision" : a subsection of this Act (or a section of this Act that is not divided into subsections) is a civil penalty provision if:

  (a)   the words "civil penalty" and one or more amounts in penalty units are set out at the foot of the subsection   (or section); or

  (b)   another provision of this Act specifies that the subsection   (or section) is a civil penalty provision.

Note:   Schedule   2 deals with contraventions of civil penalty provisions, and treats people who are involved in various ways in such a contravention as if they had contravened the provision concerned.

"covered bond" has the meaning given by subsection   26(1).

"covered bond liabilities" has the meaning given by subsections   26(4) and (5).

"covered bond special purpose vehicle" has the meaning given by subsection   26(1).

"covered financial product" has the meaning given by subsection   (8).

"cover pool" has the meaning given by subsection   26(3).

"declaration time" for an ADI means the time the ADI becomes a declared ADI.

"declared ADI" means an ADI specified in a declaration under section   16AD as an ADI in relation to which Subdivision C of Division   2AA of Part   II applies.

"direction under this Act" means a direction under any of the following provisions:

  (a)   section   11CA;

  (b)   section   11CC;

  (c)   section   13E;

  (d)   section   17;

  (e)   section   23;

  (f)   section   29;

  (g)   section   31F.

"external administrator" means any of the following:

  (a)   a liquidator;

  (b)   a receiver, manager, managing controller, receiver and manager or other controller (other than a Banking Act statutory manager);

  (c)   a voluntary administrator or administrator of a deed of a company arrangement or a scheme manager.

Expressions used in this definition have the same meanings as they have in the Corporations Act 2001 .

"Finance Minister" means the Minister who administers the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 .

"Financial Claims Scheme Special Account" has the same meaning as in the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 .

"financial market" has the same meaning as in Chapter   7 of the Corporations Act 2001 .

"Financial System Stability Special Account" means the Financial System Stability Special Account established by section   70E.

"foreign ADI" means a body corporate that:

  (a)   is a foreign corporation within the meaning of paragraph   51(xx) of the Constitution; and

  (b)   is authorised to carry on banking business in a foreign country; and

  (c)   has been granted an authority under section   9 to carry on banking business in Australia.

"holding company" , of a body corporate, means another body corporate of which the first body corporate is a subsidiary.

"industry support contract" means a contract under which emergency financial support is to be provided by parties to the contract to any ADI that is a party to the contract if a specified event occurs. The contract may also deal with matters associated with the provision of the financial support.

"insolvent" , in relation to a body corporate, means that the body corporate is not able to pay all its debts as and when they become due and payable.

"investigator" means a person APRA appoints under subsection   13(4), 13A(1) or 61(1).

"issuing ADI" has the meaning given by subsection   26(6).

"lawyer" means a duly qualified legal practitioner and, in relation to a person, means such a practitioner acting for the person.

"liquidator" includes a provisional liquidator.

"listing rules" has the same meaning as in the Corporations Act 2001 .

"net credit balance" :

  (a)   the net credit balance , at a time, of an account means the excess of the balance of the account in credit in favour of the account - holder at that time over the amount (if any) of fees, charges and duties that are identified under the agreement under which the account is kept and are payable by the account - holder to the ADI at that time; and

  (b)   the net credit balance , at a time, of a covered financial product that is not an account means the amount owed to the account - holder at that time under the terms of the agreement under which the covered financial product is kept.

"New Zealand registered bank" means a registered bank, as defined in section   2 of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989 of New Zealand, that carries on a business in New Zealand.

"NOHC" is short for non - operating holding company.

"NOHC authority" means an authority under subsection   11AA(2).

"NOHC/NOHC subsidiary" has the meaning given by subsection   13D(5).

"non-ADI lender" has the meaning given by section   38B.

"non-ADI lender rule" means a rule under section   38C.

"non-operating holding company" means, in relation to a body corporate, a body corporate:

  (a)   of which the first body corporate is a subsidiary; and

  (b)   that does not carry on a business (other than a business consisting of the ownership or control of other bodies corporate); and

  (c)   that is incorporated in Australia.

"outsourcing arrangement" means an arrangement for the business of a New Zealand registered bank, or functions relating to such business, to be carried on by an entity other than the bank.

"Part IIB provision of finance" has the meaning given by section   38B.

"personal information" has the same meaning as in the Privacy Act 1988 .

"prescribed New Zealand authority" means the following:

  (a)   the Reserve Bank of New Zealand;

  (b)   an authority of the government of New Zealand that:

  (i)   has statutory responsibilities relating to prudential regulation or financial system stability; and

  (ii)   is prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this definition.

"protected account" has the meaning given by subsections   (4), (5), (6) and (7).

"prudential matters" means matters relating to:

  (a)   the conduct of any part of the affairs of, or the structuring or organising of, an ADI, an authorised NOHC, a relevant group of bodies corporate, or a particular member or members of such a group, in such a way as:

  (i)   to keep the ADI, NOHC, group or member or members of the group in a sound financial position; or

  (ii)   to facilitate resolution of the ADI, NOHC, group or member or members of the group; or

  (iii)   to protect the interests of depositors of any ADI; or

  (iv)   not to cause or promote instability in the Australian financial system; or

  (v)   not to cause or promote instability in the New Zealand financial system; or

  (b)   the conduct of any part of the affairs of an ADI, an authorised NOHC, a relevant group of bodies corporate, or a particular member or members of such a group, with integrity, prudence and professional skill.

"prudential requirement regulation" means a regulation under section   11A.

"prudential standard" means a standard under section   11AF.

"recapitalisation direction" means a direction given by APRA under subsection   13E(1) or (1B).

"related body corporate" , in relation to a body corporate, means a body corporate that is related to the first - mentioned body, as determined in accordance with subsection   5(2A).

"relevant group of bodies corporate" has the meaning given by subsection   5(3).

"resolution" means the process by which APRA or other relevant persons manage or respond to an entity:

  (a)   being unable to meet its obligations; or

  (b)   being considered likely to be unable, or being considered likely to become unable, to meet its obligations; or

  (c)   suspending payment, or being considered likely to suspend payment;

including through the exercise of powers and functions under this Act or another law.

" section 9 authority" means an authority under subsection   9(3).

"senior manager" of an ADI or an authorised NOHC or the Australian operations of a foreign ADI means a person who has or exercises any of the senior management responsibilities (within the meaning of the prudential standards) for the ADI or NOHC or for the Australian operations of the foreign ADI, as the case may be.

"subsidiary" has the meaning given by subsection   (2).

"the Reserve Bank" means the Reserve Bank of Australia.

"transferred liabilities determination" means a determination under subsection   16AIA(1).

"ultimate termination of control" has the meaning given by subsection   13C(1).

Subsidiary

  (2)   For the purposes of this Act, the question whether a body corporate is a subsidiary of another body corporate is to be determined in the same way as that question is determined for the purposes of the Corporations Act 2001 .

Related bodies corporate

  (2A)   For the purposes of this Act, the question whether a body corporate is related to another body corporate is to be determined in the same way as that question is determined for the purposes of the Corporations Act 2001 .

Relevant group of bodies corporate

  (3)   For the purposes of this Act:

  (a)   an ADI and its subsidiaries together constitute a relevant group of bodies corporate ; and

  (b)   an authorised NOHC and its subsidiaries together also constitute a relevant group of bodies corporate .

Protected account

  (4)   Subject to subsections   (5), (6) and (7), a protected account is an account or covered financial product that is kept by an account - holder (whether alone or jointly with one or more other account - holders) with an ADI and either:

  (a)   is an account that is prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph; or

  (b)   is an account, or covered financial product, that is kept under an agreement between the account - holder and the ADI requiring the ADI to pay the account - holder, on demand by the account - holder or at a time agreed by them, the net credit balance of the account or covered financial product at the time of the demand or the agreed time (as appropriate).

Note:   Paragraph   (a)--the regulations may prescribe the account by reference to a class of accounts: see subsection   13(3) of the Legislation Act 2003 .

  (5)   An account is not a protected account on and after 12   October 2011 unless:

  (a)   it is recorded in Australian currency; or

  (b)   it is kept with an ADI that is a declared ADI on 12   October 2011.

  (6)   A covered financial product that is kept with an ADI and is not an account is not a protected account if APRA applies under section   16AAA for an order that the ADI be wound up.

  (7)   An account or covered financial product is not a protected account if the account or covered financial product is prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this subsection.

Note:   The regulations may prescribe the account or covered financial product by reference to a class of accounts or financial products: see subsection   13(3) of the Legislation Act 2003 .

Covered financial product

  (8)   The Minister may declare that a specified financial product is a covered financial product .

Note:   The declaration may specify the product by reference to a class of financial products: see subsection   13(3) of the Legislation Act 2003 .

  (9)   A declaration made under subsection   (8), or an amendment of the declaration, is a legislative instrument, but section   42 (disallowance) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to the declaration or amendment.

Note:   Part   4 of Chapter   3 (sunsetting) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to the declaration or amendment: see regulations made for the purposes of paragraph   54(2)(b) of that Act.

  (10)   Despite subsection   12(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 , the declaration or amendment commences from the time it is made.

  (11)   Subsection   12(2) (retrospective application of legislative instruments) of the Legislation Act 2003 does not apply to the declaration or amendment.



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