CAIRNS (Reuters) - The size of an enhanced capital buffer that the world's top 29 banks could be around 16 percent, and will be disclosed at the G20 leaders' summit in November, European Central Bank Governing Council member Christian Noyer said on Sunday.

Under plans being drawn up by global regulators, major global banks would have to hold safety buffers of "bail-in" bonds and other capital equivalent to a percentage of their risk-weighted assets.

"The initial range of around 16 percent is realistic but was not fixed at this G20 meeting," Noyer said after a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the world's leading economies in the Australian city of Cairns.

He said a simulation test would be finalised by the end of 2015, and a number countries had asked for flexibility on the requirements pending the results of the study.

The plan is core to global efforts to end "too big to fail banks" and shield taxpayers from having to rescue lenders again.

"Everyone agreed not to have a long transition period and we are aware that we should not create a mechanism that would restrict bank lending," said Noyer.

An initial draft seen by Reuters earlier this month said the minimum total loss absorption capacity (TLAC) at the top banks should be between "16 and 20 percent of risk-weighted assets and at least twice the Basel 3 Tier 1 leverage ratio requirement".

(Reporting by Cecile Lefort; Editing by John Mair)