RBA’s September meeting minutes confirmed a steady hand on policy, with members concluding there was “no need for an immediate reduction” in the cash rate. The Board agreed that the economic data and forecasts since August supported maintaining the current level of restrictiveness, while emphasizing that decisions will remain “cautious and data dependent.”
Discussions focused heavily on inflation risks, particularly after stronger readings in the monthly CPI indicators for July and August. While acknowledging that these data are partial and volatile, members noted that upside surprises in market services and housing costs suggest the September quarter CPI could come in higher than expected in August forecasts.
The minutes revealed growing concern that if this pattern continues, the Bank’s assumptions about the balance between aggregate demand and supply could be too optimistic. Members also referenced lessons from abroad, where services inflation has proven stubbornly elevated, as a warning for domestic policy calibration.
Still, the Board recognized that risks remain “two-sided”. On the upside, consumption could recover faster than assumed, or capacity pressures could prove stronger. On the downside, members highlighted the drag from weak consumer sentiment, slower employment growth, and subdued wage indicators.
The balance of views suggests the RBA will tread carefully in coming months, awaiting confirmation from the full Q3 inflation report before deciding whether further policy easing remains justified at the November meeting.
