May 3 (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp WBC.AX :
* AUSTRALIAN MORTGAGE BOOK INCREASED $2.6 BILLION OVER PAST SIX MONTHS
* OWNER OCCUPIER LOANS INCREASED 3% IN HY, WITH FIRST HOME BUYERS MAKING UP 13 PER CENT OF NEW LOANS
* "WHILE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IS MORE POSITIVE, THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY"
* OVER HALF, WESTPAC PAID $200 MILLION TO APPROXIMATELY 500,000 CUSTOMERS AS PART OF CUSTOMER REMEDIATION
* TARGETING $8 BILLION COST BASE BY FINANCIAL YEAR 2024
* SEES COSTS TO INCREASE IN FY21 AS WE DELIVER ON FIX PRIORITY, BEFORE STARTING TO FALL FROM FY22
* WILL MAINTAIN OUR LEVEL OF INVESTMENT AND EXPECT TO INVEST AROUND $3.5-$4 BILLION BACK INTO THE BUSINESS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS
* WHILE IT EXPECTS CONTINUED INCREASES IN HOME PRICES, RATE OF HOUSE PRICE GROWTH WILL LIKELY MODERATE