RBNZ's Wheeler to Deliver Speech Wed Reflecting on His Term

     SYDNEY (MNI) - Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Graeme Wheeler will

deliver a speech Wednesday on what is expected to be his final address as head

of the central bank.

     The speech, titled "Reflections on the stewardship of the Reserve Bank."

will be released at 1330 hours local time (0130 hours GMT). 

     Wheeler's five-year term ends September 26.

     At the media conference following the release of RBNZ's quarterly Monetary

Policy Statement on August 10, Wheeler said he will put together a speech where

he will address some of the questions posed at that conference.

     Once of those questions was whether Wheeler believed he had achieved the

inflation target he agreed when he took the position.

     "I will comment in a speech and I'll address some of those issues," Wheeler

said, adding, that core inflation has averaged 1.5% over the last five years

which means it hasn't been outside the 1% to 3% target band. He acknowledged

that this was core and not headline inflation.

     Wheeler said he will also respond in the speech to a question on whether

his critics have been fair to him.

--MNI Sydney Bureau; tel: +61 2-9716-5467; email: sophia.rodrigues@marketnews.com

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