{"id":114041,"date":"2026-03-17T15:10:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/lismoretimes\/news\/rba-hits-borrowers-again-as-fuel-prices-surge\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T15:10:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:10:26","slug":"rba-hits-borrowers-again-as-fuel-prices-surge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/lismoretimes\/news\/rba-hits-borrowers-again-as-fuel-prices-surge\/","title":{"rendered":"RBA hits borrowers again as fuel prices surge"},"content":{"rendered":"

BORROWERS <\/span>and <\/span>small <\/span>businesses <\/span>are <\/span>facing <\/span>renewed <\/span>financial <\/span>pressure <\/span>after <\/span>the <\/span>Reserve <\/span>Bank <\/span>of <\/span>Australia <\/span><\/a>resumed <\/span>raising <\/span>interest <\/span>rates <\/span>at <\/span>its <\/span>March <\/span>meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>central <\/span>bank <\/span>increased <\/span>the <\/span>cash <\/span>rate <\/span>by <\/span>25 <\/span>basis <\/span>points <\/span>to <\/span>4.1 <\/span>per <\/span>cent <\/span>as <\/span>inflation <\/span>risks <\/span>strengthened <\/span>and <\/span>global <\/span>fuel <\/span>prices <\/span>climbed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>decision <\/span>was <\/span>made <\/span>by <\/span>a <\/span>narrow <\/span>majority, <\/span>with <\/span>five <\/span>board <\/span>members <\/span>voting <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>increase <\/span>and <\/span>four <\/span>preferring <\/span>to <\/span>leave <\/span>rates <\/span>unchanged.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Reserve <\/span>Bank <\/span>said <\/span>sharply <\/span>higher <\/span>fuel <\/span>prices <\/span>linked <\/span>to <\/span>conflict <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>Middle <\/span>East <\/span>could <\/span>push <\/span>inflation <\/span>higher <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>near <\/span>term <\/span>and <\/span>risk <\/span>keeping <\/span>it <\/span>above <\/span>target <\/span>for <\/span>longer <\/span>than <\/span>previously <\/span>expected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mortgage <\/span>broker <\/span>Mortgage <\/span>Choice <\/span>estimates <\/span>that <\/span>if <\/span>lenders <\/span>pass <\/span>on <\/span>the <\/span>increase <\/span>in <\/span>full, <\/span>repayments <\/span>on <\/span>a <\/span>typical $<\/span>750,000 <\/span>home <\/span>loan <\/span>could <\/span>rise <\/span>by <\/span>about $<\/span>120 <\/span>a <\/span>month, <\/span>while <\/span>borrowers <\/span>with $<\/span>1 <\/span>million <\/span>loans <\/span>may <\/span>face <\/span>increases <\/span>closer <\/span>to $<\/span>160.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accounting <\/span>body <\/span>CPA <\/span>Australia <\/span>said <\/span>fuel <\/span>dependent <\/span>small <\/span>businesses <\/span>were <\/span>already <\/span>struggling <\/span>to <\/span>absorb <\/span>higher <\/span>costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

CPA <\/span>Australia <\/span>business <\/span>and <\/span>investment <\/span>lead <\/span>Gavan <\/span>Ord <\/span>said <\/span>many <\/span>operators <\/span>were <\/span>being <\/span>hit <\/span>from <\/span>multiple <\/span>directions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>These <\/span>businesses <\/span>are <\/span>feeling <\/span>bruised <\/span>by <\/span>higher <\/span>fuel <\/span>costs <\/span>that <\/span>are <\/span>flowing <\/span>through <\/span>every <\/span>part <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>operations,\u201d <\/span>he <\/span>said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Fuel <\/span>isn\u2019t <\/span>optional \u2013 <\/span>it\u2019s <\/span>fundamental \u2013 <\/span>and <\/span>when <\/span>prices <\/span>spike, <\/span>costs <\/span>rise <\/span>immediately <\/span>with <\/span>very <\/span>little <\/span>room <\/span>to <\/span>hide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr <\/span>Ord <\/span>said <\/span>the <\/span>latest <\/span>rate <\/span>rise <\/span>compounded <\/span>pressure <\/span>at <\/span>a <\/span>time <\/span>when <\/span>confidence <\/span>across <\/span>the <\/span>economy <\/span>was <\/span>weakening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>For <\/span>many <\/span>small <\/span>businesses, <\/span>fuel <\/span>is <\/span>now <\/span>one <\/span>of <\/span>their <\/span>largest <\/span>and <\/span>most <\/span>volatile <\/span>expenses. <\/span>Combined <\/span>with <\/span>higher <\/span>interest <\/span>rates <\/span>and <\/span>persistent <\/span>inflation, <\/span>it\u2019s <\/span>making <\/span>an <\/span>already <\/span>difficult <\/span>situation <\/span>worse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He <\/span>said <\/span>households <\/span>were <\/span>also <\/span>pulling <\/span>back <\/span>spending <\/span>as <\/span>borrowing <\/span>costs <\/span>continued <\/span>to <\/span>rise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Households <\/span>are <\/span>pulling <\/span>back, <\/span>businesses <\/span>are <\/span>losing <\/span>confidence, <\/span>and <\/span>yet <\/span>costs <\/span>keep <\/span>rising,\u201d <\/span>he <\/span>said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>This <\/span>rate <\/span>increase <\/span>adds <\/span>fresh <\/span>pressure <\/span>just <\/span>as <\/span>many <\/span>were <\/span>hoping <\/span>for <\/span>some <\/span>relief.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Businesses <\/span>reliant <\/span>on <\/span>transport <\/span>and <\/span>mobility <\/span>were <\/span>feeling <\/span>the <\/span>impact <\/span>daily, <\/span>Mr <\/span>Ord <\/span>said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Every <\/span>trip, <\/span>delivery <\/span>and <\/span>service <\/span>call <\/span>now <\/span>costs <\/span>more. <\/span>Businesses <\/span>can\u2019t <\/span>absorb <\/span>these <\/span>increases <\/span>indefinitely, <\/span>and <\/span>many <\/span>are <\/span>running <\/span>out <\/span>of <\/span>options.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

CPA <\/span>Australia <\/span>warned <\/span>higher <\/span>operating <\/span>costs <\/span>were <\/span>likely <\/span>to <\/span>be <\/span>passed <\/span>on <\/span>to <\/span>consumers <\/span>in <\/span>coming <\/span>months.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>When <\/span>costs <\/span>rise <\/span>this <\/span>sharply <\/span>and <\/span>this <\/span>quickly, <\/span>prices <\/span>inevitably <\/span>follow,\u201d <\/span>Mr <\/span>Ord <\/span>said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Many <\/span>small <\/span>businesses <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>forced <\/span>to <\/span>pass <\/span>on <\/span>higher <\/span>costs, <\/span>while <\/span>others <\/span>will <\/span>delay <\/span>investment, <\/span>reduce <\/span>services <\/span>or <\/span>scale <\/span>back <\/span>employment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr <\/span>Ord <\/span>said <\/span>longer <\/span>term <\/span>reform <\/span>would <\/span>be <\/span>needed <\/span>to <\/span>restore <\/span>confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Short-<\/span>term <\/span>relief <\/span>won\u2019t <\/span>fix <\/span>a <\/span>system <\/span>where <\/span>small <\/span>businesses <\/span>are <\/span>burdened <\/span>by <\/span>high <\/span>costs, <\/span>excessive <\/span>red <\/span>tape <\/span>and <\/span>uncertainty,\u201d <\/span>he <\/span>said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>What <\/span>is <\/span>needed <\/span>is <\/span>decisive <\/span>action <\/span>to <\/span>cut <\/span>unnecessary <\/span>regulation, <\/span>lift <\/span>productivity <\/span>and <\/span>restore <\/span>confidence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BORROWERS and small businesses are facing renewed financial pressure after the Reserve Bank of Australia resumed raising interest rates at its March meeting. The central bank increased the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent as inflation risks strengthened and global fuel prices climbed. The decision was made by a narrow majority, […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":114042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-114041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRBA hits borrowers again as fuel prices surge - Lismore Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/lismoretimes\/news\/rba-hits-borrowers-again-as-fuel-prices-surge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"RBA hits borrowers again as fuel prices surge - Lismore Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BORROWERS and small businesses are facing renewed financial pressure after the Reserve Bank of Australia resumed raising interest rates at its March meeting. 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The central bank increased the cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent as inflation risks strengthened and global fuel prices climbed. 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