Arrangements for Economic Roundtables

Scope

This page provides guidelines for hosts, participants and senior RBA staff (Heads of Department and above) who organise or attend economic roundtables conducted under the Chatham House Rule. Senior RBA staff regularly hold or participate in ‘roundtable’ meetings with external parties. Attendees may include professional external economists, financial market participants and senior leaders from the business community.

These meetings facilitate two-way conversations between the RBA and external parties. They form part of the RBA’s information gathering and engagement strategy.

What is covered by these arrangements

Roundtable discussions about the Australian economy, financial markets and financial stability issues.

What isn’t covered by these arrangements

These guidelines do not cover meetings regarding the RBA’s payments policy, business or operational functions. They do not apply to meetings and roundtables between the RBA and other Australian Government or state government agencies.

These guidelines also do not cover meetings undertaken through our established liaison programs, or invitations to speak at public conferences and events – see Arrangements for Public Speaking Engagements.

Guidelines

Nature of Discussion

All economic roundtables are conducted under the Chatham House rule.

Participants may use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. Hosts should remind participants at the beginning of the roundtable about the importance (for the RBA and other participants) of respecting this rule.

Economic roundtables are valuable opportunity for the RBA to gather intelligence about the economy. These conversations supplement standard data analysis and information gathered through our established liaison programs, thereby enhancing the RBA’s understanding of current economic and financial conditions.

No confidential or market-sensitive information will be shared by RBA staff during these meetings. RBA staff will only draw from publicly available materials and will not provide personal views.

Scheduling

No confidential or market-sensitive information will be shared by the RBA during these meetings. RBA staff will only draw from publicly available materials and will not provide personal views. As such, neither the roundtable organiser, nor specific attendees, will benefit commercially, or gain competitive advantage.

Roundtables are not to be held during the blackout period leading up to meetings of the RBA’s Monetary Policy Board – see Board Meetings Schedules.

Gifts and Hospitality

RBA staff are bound by our Code of Conduct, which sets out rules and considerations related to gifts, hospitality and other benefits.

Expenses

RBA staff will not accept any form of payment from the meeting organisers or others.

Disclosure

For roundtables held from 1 May 2025 onwards, we will disclose appropriate information about roundtables on this webpage to enhance transparency while preserving the integrity and effectiveness of the meetings.

A list of roundtables involving senior RBA staff and external parties will be maintained on this webpage and updated quarterly, within one month after the end of each quarter.

The disclosed information will include the names of the hosting organisations and attending firms, but not the names of individual attendees.