Bendigo & Adelaide Bank can withstand a new mortgage war, as it banks on loan approvals within minutes to offset better pricing offered by some of its larger rivals, the regional lender’s outgoing chief executive says.

Marnie Baker, presenting her final full-year result after six years in charge of the bank, said there were “always pockets of competition” but hoped the sector was “through the heaviest part of the cycle” as she prepares to hand over to chief customer officer Richard Fennell at the end of this week.