RBA data centre suffers power failure, some payment systems hit

An internal power supply failure at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s head office data centre has hit some payments systems and taken down fixed phone lines.

[Updates from the Reserve Bank and Department of Human Services have been issued since this story was initially published.]

The central bank on Thursday afternoon confirmed the issue but said in tweets that the New Payments Platform was operating normally.

It is still unclear whether the RITS (Reserve Bank Information and Transfer System) has been affected, with some institutions understood to be preparing for a late night if settlements are delayed. 

RITS is the RBA's high-value settlement system that banks and other payments organisations use to settle payment obligations between each other.

iTnews has sought confirmation of the current status of RITS, with an RBA spokesperson indicating information will be made available soon.

Banking sources suggested to iTnews that if there were problems with RITS, it was likely the RBA would work through the night to restore services to minimise disruption.

"Routine maintenance of the Bank's fire control systems caused an interruption of power to the Bank's main data centre, the RBA said in a statement. 

"The Bank is in the process of re-establishing full services."

The RBA told iTnews the problem was being worked on with an assessment underway to confirm what systems have been affected.

The extent of the problem is still unclear with news agency Reuters reporting widespread issues.

“There have been disruptions to the payment system but normal service is gradually being restored,” an RBA spokeswoman told Reuters.

 “It’s (affected) all the payment services.”

The RBA operates a key part of the NPP that allows real time transactions to occur.

Known as the Fast Settlements System (FSS) the facility is a key feature of the NPP, however it is understood transactions can still flow as without it operating.

More to come