Making news this week (week ending 18 March)

You can read the full stories here:

New loans to investors rose at a more rapid rate than owner-occupiers during the December quarter, according to new data from APRA.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said, during the Australian Banking Association Business Summit on Friday (11 March), he doesn’t feel a “mounting pressure” to hike the cash rate, noting it would be a jolt for many borrowers.

The average value for a capital city dwelling is now over $920,000, marking the largest annual increase ever reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The rising cost of housing and a growing wealth imbalance is an emerging social issue that could threaten “social cohesion”, according to leading demographer, Simon Kuestenmacher, has said.