Australia Core Prices Slow to Record Low in Policy Challenge Bloomberg 2 hrs ago (Bloomberg) -- Australia’s core inflation decelerated to the slowest pace on record as government programs lowered costs in the economy, highlighting the scale of the Reserve Bank’s challenge to reignite stronger price growth. Annual trimmed mean core inflation eased to 1.1% in the first quarter, the weakest reading in a series dating back to 1983, versus an estimated 1.2% gain, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said in Sydney Wednesday. The gauge, the RBA’s preferred measure, advanced 0.3% from the final three months of last year, compared with economists’ estimates of a 0.5% rise.