Private credit roundup: Australian home builder Bathla's dues

Sept 18 (Reuters) — Australian home builder Bathla Group was back in the headlines this week on news it owed about A$3 billion ($2.1 billion) to more than 40 lenders when it entered administration, according to documents filed with the corporate regulator. Bathla, which operates in Sydney's western suburbs and is one of the country's biggest affordable housing developers, went into administration last month. Australia's financial system regulator had earlier said banks and pension funds had limited exposure to the debt-laden home builder. The market fallout too has been minimal, merely pointing to the extent to which private credit has replaced the risk-averse banking industry in Australia's property sector. The filings highlight Bathla's heavy reliance on private credit to fund land purchases and developments, underscoring risks in Australia's A$200 billion private credit sector. Its lenders included Jarrah Capital, 360 Capital, Balmain Opportunity Trust, Ray White Capital and Leda Finance. Australian companies have also attracted a wave of takeover interest from private equity firms and overseas investors so far in 2026, although only a limited number of those approaches have adv