RBA Governor: Migration Lifts Economy, Squeezes Housing Market

The governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said this week that current levels of migration are contributing positively to the national economy without adding to inflationary pressure, though she cautioned that the housing market is where the effects of population growth are most acutely felt.

Speaking as part of a wide-ranging discussion on economic conditions, the RBA governor said migration flows have helped support economic activity, framing the phenomenon as broadly beneficial for growth. However, she noted that the strain associated with a growing population is concentrated in housing, where demand pressures have made affordability and availability more difficult, particularly in Australia's major cities.

Government Faces Questions On Family Violence Response

Separately, Treasurer Jim Chalmers addressed questions about whether the federal government would back a national royal commission into violence against women and children. Chalmers said the government had instead opted to increase funding directed toward addressing child, family and domestic violence.

In comments to the ABC, Chalmers said the government was seeking to tackle what he described as the underlying sources of such violence, citing factors including insecurity within the housing system and the spread of misogynistic content online. He characterized the range of contributing factors as broad, saying all forms of this violence were "entirely unacceptable" and "horrific in every way."

Chalmers said the additional resourcing reflected the government's recognition that further action was needed, while stopping short of committing to a royal commission on the issue.

The remarks come amid ongoing public debate in Australia over both the economic effects of migration and the adequacy of government responses to gender-based violence, two issues that featured prominently in the day's political discussion.