"Then you have a captive audience, " says Joe Ridout, consumer-services manager with the nonprofit Consumer Action.

WSJ: Cards Return to Campus

And all potential borrowers should be wary of promotional rates, which can quickly evaporate, Consumer Action's Mr. Ridout says.

WSJ: Cards Return to Campus

"The mining industry employs about 150, 000 on a good day, while those supplying it add another 300, 000 or 400, 000, " says Ms Ridout.

BBC: Australia's two-speed economy threatens to hurt growth

For Heather Ridout, the chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, the divide is easily identified: it is between the resources sector and the rest.

BBC: Australia's two-speed economy threatens to hurt growth