The Reserve Bank of Australia is Australia's central bank. It conducts monetarypolicy, works to maintain a strong financial system and issues the nation'scurrency. As well as being a policy-making body, the Reserve Bank providesselected banking and registry services to a range of Australian governmentagencies and to a number of overseas central banks and official institutions.It also manages Australia's gold and foreign exchange reserves.
The role and functions of the Reserve Bank are underpinned by various pieces of legislation.The Bank is a statutory authority, established by an Act of Parliament, theReserve Bank Act 1959, which gives it specific powers and obligations.In terms of the Act, there are two Boards: the Reserve Bank Board and the PaymentsSystem Board.
The Reserve Bank Board's obligations with respect to monetary policy are laidout in Sections 10(2) and 11(1) of the Act. Section 10(2) of the Act, whichis often referred to as the Bank's ‘charter’, says:
It is the duty of the Reserve Bank Board, within the limits of its powers,to ensure that the monetary and banking policy of the Bank is directed tothe greatest advantage of the people of Australia and that the powers of theBank ... are exercised in such a manner as, in the opinion of the ReserveBank Board, will best contribute to:
- the stability of the currency of Australia;
- the maintenance of full employment in Australia; and
- the economic prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia.
Section 11(1) of the Act covers the need to consult with Government;
the Reserve Bank Board is to inform the Government, from time to time, ofthe Bank's monetary and banking policy.
The ‘charter’ of the Payments System Board is defined in section 10B(3)of the Act as follows:
It is the duty of the Payments System Board to ensure, within the limits ofits powers, that:
- the Bank's payments system policy is directed to the greatest advantage ofthe people of Australia; and
- the powers of the Bank under thePayment Systems (Regulation) Act 1998and thePayment Systems and Netting Act 1998are exercised in a way that, in the Board's opinion, will best contribute to:
- controlling risk in the financial system;
- promoting the efficiency of the payments system; and
- promoting competition in the market for payment services, consistent with the overallstability of the financial system; and
- the powers and functions of the Bank under Part 7.3 of theCorporations Act 2001 are exercised in a waythat, in the Board's opinion, will best contribute to the overall stabilityof the financial system.
