Australia central bank judging whether further easing needed, says RBA chief

By Wayne Cole

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s top central banker said a pickup in consumer spending and higher readings on some parts of inflation had given policymakers pause to consider whether further interest rate cuts were needed.

Speaking at a Nomura event in Washington on Wednesday local time, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock said recent readings on home building costs and market services suggested a risk core inflation had been higher than expected in the third quarter.

Combined with firmer consumption data, this had given the RBA board time to judge “whether there was further easing to come or not,” Bullock said.

Bullock said the RBA board judged that current rates were marginally restrictive and there were signs financial conditions had loosened, with credit a