The Pacific Island Centre for Development Policy and Research (PICDPR) at Griffith Asia Institute recently hosted an online joint presentation featuring the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) on April 30.

Anthony Brassil, Acting Deputy Head of the Economic Research Department, RB
Anthony Brassil, Acting Deputy Head of the Economic Research Department, RB


Anthony Brassil, Acting Deputy Head of the Economic Research Department at the RBA, discussed the formation of inflation expectations and its implications for monetary policy. Meanwhile, Lewis Kerr, Senior Economic Adviser at the RBNZ, shared key lessons from New Zealand’s recent review of its monetary policy framework.

Dr Parmendra Sharma, PICDPR Convenor, highlighted the significance of this event as the first-ever joint RBA-RBNZ presentation to the Pacific region’s policymakers, predominantly, central banks. This was the second in the 2024 initiated Pacific Seminar Series, following one jointly by Federal Treasury and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) earlier in the year.

“The region’s key policymaking institutions, including central banks, are benefitting a great deal from these seminars by experts from institutions like the RBA and RBNZ”, said Dr Sharma, “such people-to-people Australia-NZ-Pacific engagements are useful for all of us.”

Lewis Kerr, Senior Economic Adviser, RBNZ

The event was attended by more than 100 participants from across the Pacific, spanning around 9 Pacific policymaking institutions plus students and academics from Griffith. Participants were highly impressed with the session and its delivery, noting, among others, that central bank independence was important for monetary policymaking and that the availability of reliable and adequate data was critical for informed decision-making.

For more details on past and future events, visit the PICDPR events page.

8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
UN Sustainable Development Goals 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth