A key measure of inflation has jumped, climbing to 4% in May after edging up from a recent low of 3.4% in February.
The Bureau of Statistics monthly consumer price indicator produced an annual inflation rate of 3.6% in April. This was the same as the longer-established Bureau of Statistics quarterly measure, which produced 3.6% in March.
The upward turn suggests the Reserve Bank will have to revisit the case for an interest rate hike when it meets next in early August.