As the latest interest rate was announced,
RBA Governor Philip Lowe said the reasoning behind the reduction was to provide
credit to more Australians: "At its meeting today, the Board decided on a
package of further measures to support job creation and the recovery of the
Australian economy from the pandemic... With Australia facing a period of high
unemployment, the Reserve Bank is committed to doing what it can to support the
creation of jobs."
With rates cut on Melbourne Cup day for the
first time since 2011, the RBA is serious about making a difference. While the
economy has bounced back with more vigour than initially expected, the pandemic
economy is still heavily influenced by high unemployment, low migration, a
strong Australian dollar, and a lagging Victorian economy. However, with
variable rates unchanged and existing home and business borrowers unlikely to
see much of the cut, monetary stimulus measures may not have their intended impact.
New borrowers are likely to benefit more widely, with first-home buyers in
particular likely to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg welcomed the
latest rate cut, saying it would help families and support mortgage holders
during difficult times: "For someone with a $400,000 mortgage, the average
across the country, what we have seen with today's announcement where it has
come from down 75 basis points to just 10, that is worth $1,000 a year for someone
with a mortgage that size... Some of the banks have already priced in today's
announcement by the Reserve Bank, it had been highly forecast and highly
expected."
Fixed rates continue to drop to all-time
lows, which has led to a much higher demand for fixed mortgage loans and
shorter loan periods.