Bank lending to property investors in Australia surged 9.6% in the year to March — the fastest pace since 2015 — even as the Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates twice this year, according to central bank data. While loans to owner-occupiers slowed to 6.2% growth over the same period, investor borrowing reached $42 billion, with major lenders ANZ and NAB each reporting that investors now account for more than two-fifths of new home loans. Economists warn the trend may be nearing its peak, with further rate hikes expected to gradually price out investors and tighten activity across Australia's housing market.