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An Australian building company has gone into voluntary administration and made all 180 of its staff redundant in what its administrators say is another "casualty of the crisis gripping Australia's construction industry".

PBS owes more than $25 million to its creditors, although that figure could rise in the coming weeks as administrators take a closer look at the business.

"This has been a gut-wrenching decision that we know will impact many lives and livelihoods," the company's board and founder said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Reserve Bank delivers historic 10th-straight rate hike

"However, after months of intense efforts behind the scenes, in the end it was the only responsible course of action available."

PBS was founded as a family-owned firm in Canberra 33 years ago but now also spans NSW and Queensland, and has completed more than $3.6 billion worth of construction work since its inception.

It said unprecedented challenges in the building industry were behind its collapse and warned it won't be the last company to fail.

"Despite tenacity and more than 30 years' industry experience, the unprecedented combination of record material costs, fixed price contracts, labour and material shortages, extreme rain events, floods, bushfires and wars has proved an insurmountable challenge," it said.

"We are the latest, but we won't be the last construction group to buckle under the weight of a broken industry and way of doing business that needs urgent reform."

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RSM Australia Partners Jonathon Colbran, Richard Stone and Mitchell Herrett were appointed as voluntary administrators for the five entities that make up PBS.

"RSM's initial investigations of the financial statements and records of the PBS construction companies have identified more than 1000 secured and unsecured creditors. These creditors are owed a total of more than $25 million," Colbran said.

"These are preliminary figures and may change following more detailed investigations over the coming weeks."

The company's 180 staff were made redundant and paid their full entitlements on Monday before administrators were appointed.

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However, the future of the company's dozens of current construction works is uncertain.

"Between them, the five companies, have 80 residential and commercial projects in various stages of construction, from the early design phase through to various stages of construction," Colbran said.

"All work on these sites ceased immediately prior to the appointment of the administrators and it is not clear at this stage whether works will recommence.

"If works do not recommence, the operations of the PBS construction companies will progressively be shut down and sites will be handed over to customers."

The collapse follows that of luxury NSW apartment builder EQ Constructions, which went into administration in February owing around $50 million, as well as two Western Australian-based firms in January.

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Nicolaas Ockert Bester, who sexually abused former Australian of the Year Grace Tame when she was 15, has pleaded not guilty to accusations he menaced, harassed or offended her online.

Bester, 70, is alleged to have made public posts on social media platform Twitter in relation to and directed at Tame.

He appeared in Hobart Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to three counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

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It is alleged the posts were made April, July and August last year.

The matter was adjourned for contest mention on April 27 and his bail was continued.

Tame was in the courtroom with her partner Max Heerey and several other supporters.

Bester, who did not speak to media outside the court, was charged by police in October and first appeared in court in December.

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Former teacher Bester was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to two years and 10 months jail for abusing Tame when she was a student at his school, as well as for possessing child exploitation material.

Tame was the 2021 Australian of the Year and has advocated for survivors of abuse and their ability to speak out.

She was instrumental in a campaign that resulted in 2020 law changes in her home state Tasmania which allowed survivors to share their stories publicly.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

With inflation stubbornly high, wage growth stagnate and rental prices on the rise, Australians are feeling the pinch in a way many have never experienced before.

Today the Reserve Bank of Australia raised the cash rate by 25 basis points for the tenth month in a row, meaning another hit to the hip pocket of hundreds of thousands of Australians.

In a survey conducted by 9news.com.au, readers have shared how they are making their dollars stretch, from organising their mobile phone plan around saving on their food bill to utilising pay-ahead money-saving apps.

READ MORE: How much you need to earn to avoid housing stress in Sydney

Groceries

"Bulk cooking and freezing meals. It is less wasted food because you buy and bulk cook and freeze so nothing goes bad, saves on water because there's less washing up." – Rose-Cherie

"Woolworths Prepaid mobile is where it starts. It's $65 for six months. That's only $11 per month for the mobile phone, unlimited calls and text on the Telstra network. Being a Woolworths mobile customer entitles you to 10 per cent off one food shop per month (we make sure it's a big bulk buy shop for the month) . You also get extra Woolworths reward points for being a mobile customer and every 2000 of those gets you $10 off. Overall we are saving almost $1000 per year on food shopping, plus the mobile phone which was on a $150 per six months prepaid with Telstra (the lowest they advertise) also saves an extra $170 per year." – Jim from Perth

"Make use of foods in your cupboard and fridge and try to make meals out of (them). Always make a food list." – Gail from Perth

"Buying the end-of-the-week produce at the local greengrocer and preserving it pickling, making jams, dehydrating and freezing. Sometimes you can get really greats deals e.g. a few weeks ago I picked up a dozen mangoes for $5 and froze them for smoothies." – MT 

"I have learned at what times the supermarket discounts food close to expiry. I duck in at those times and meal plan around what I can find." – Stacey from Western Sydney

"Meal plan and grocery shop only once a week where possible as daily shops with no meal plans add up quickly." – Nerida

"Eat cheaper cuts of meat. Eat in-season fruit and veggies which are actually quite cheap at the moment." – Francis 

"Shopping online has made a big difference in our grocery bill. Shopping the specials, less impulse buys and taking advantage of rewards programs help keep the costs down. As I live in a rural area, having groceries and other items delivered, rather than paying even more for fuel is also helping." – Kylie

Electricity

"I do everything up to turning the TV off at night at the power point just to save the few cents of it running on stand-by (turning of when leaving the home is also something we do)." – Mark from Melbourne

"Install LED lights." – Suzanne from the Central Coast of NSW

"Shop around for different options for energy and insurance." – Rafi

"If your home has a solar system and air conditioning, experiment with settings to find how to run it most efficiently, along with other high demand household appliances." – John

"I have monitored my electricity meter until I have managed to get the bill to a reasonable amount. I pay more per month than my bill so that I have built up a credit for when things get really tight… The biggest thing with electricity is making sure that everything is turned off at the wall. Don't leave things on standby. Don't leave lights on. Don't use air conditioning unless it gets to 38 degrees." – anon

"On hot days keep curtains and blinds shut to keep the house cool to avoid using air conditioner." – Nerida

Healthcare

"Get on public wait lists for health services. Even though it will take a long time, being on the list now will help later down the track." – Rose from outer Melbourne

Entertainment

"Plan ahead your monthly entertainment expenses and stick to it – no spontaneous nights out." –John

"All my family and relatives have agreed to eliminate mailing cards for Christmas, Easter and other occasions including birthdays and use social media and free phone calls in their place." –Angelo from far north Queensland

"Try do things that aren't costly. If you want to spend time with friends maybe invite them over instead of going out to places. Buy some nibbles or make something at home where it will be cheaper." – Brooke from south-west Sydney

Petrol

"Skateboard to work – saves fuel. Use the fuel lock option on the 7/11 app to lock in a cheaper fuel price." – Derek from the Gold Coast, Queensland

"Car pooling – riding 15km to work and 15km back – to save on diesel." – Kym

"Working from home more (less travel costs)." – Rach

Rent/mortgage repayments

"Talk to your banks and negotiate interest rates where possible." – Sapna

"A longer-term decision was to estimate a higher interest rate at the time of obtaining our mortgage, opting for setting our repayments to match a 10 per cent interest rate and paying that from the beginning. That way we have had a buffer and have never been impacted by interest rate fluctuations. We have provided that advice to others in our family who are now reaping the benefits. The aim was to ensure we live within our means, which has worked out for us." – Sonia

Budgeting/ managing finances

"Before buying anything, ask yourself – do you want it, or do you need it? Only buy what you need." – Michael 

"Plan your household budget. Iterate through the budget and have checkpoints throughout to ensure no overspending. Do not do any impulse buying… Invest in the right thing so you can still generate income from your savings." – Harjyot from north-western Sydney

"Don't fall down the rabbit hole of afterpay services as they ruin your budgeting." – Brooke from south-west Sydney

Employment

"(I) unintentionally discovered after looking at a few other advertisements that the market rate for roles comparable to my own were paying about 40 per cent higher than the salary I was receiving at that time. After raising this with my employer at the time, I was offered a 5 per cent increase in my salary. I ended up securing a new job that ended up paying about 45 per cent more than my previous employer… I think it's very important to understand the current market rate for your role, because I felt quite silly to have stayed in that position for many years without really questioning if I was being compensated fairly." – John

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

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The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has increased interest rates for the 10th consecutive meeting in a row as it desperately battles to bring down spiralling inflation.

Australia's official cash rate target was increased by 25 basis points at the board's March meeting, taking the nation's rate to 3.6 per cent.

It is the highest interest rate since May 2012 and represents the fastest tightening cycle by the RBA since the 1980s.

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Canstar calculations show for the Australian mortgage holder with a $500,000 loan, today's hike adds $82 to the monthly mortgage repayment.

On that same loan, since interest rates were at the rock-bottom 0.1 per cent in April 2021, monthly repayments have increased by $1051.

Borrowers with larger loans of $1 million have seen their monthly repayments increase by an eye-watering $2103 over the same 10 months.

Governor Philip Lowe, who has been under increased pressure over the speed of the RBA's rate hikes, warned that the "path to achieving a soft landing remains a narrow one".

"The Board's priority is to return inflation to target. High inflation makes life difficult for people and damages the functioning of the economy," Lowe said.

"And if high inflation were to become entrenched in people's expectations, it would be very costly to reduce later, involving even higher interest rates and a larger rise in unemployment.

"The Board is seeking to return inflation to the 2–3 per cent target range while keeping the economy on an even keel, but the path to achieving a soft landing remains a narrow one."

READ MORE: 9News.com.au readers readers share their best money-saving tips

Lowe said he was well aware of the financial constraints facing Australian households.

"Some households have substantial savings buffers, but others are experiencing a painful squeeze on their budgets due to higher interest rates and the increase in the cost of living," he said.

"Household balance sheets are also being affected by the decline in housing prices. Another source of uncertainty is how the global economy responds to the large and rapid increase in interest rates around the world.

"These uncertainties mean that there are a range of potential scenarios for the Australian economy."

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Lowe said he expects more rate hikes will be needed to bring inflation down.

"The Board expects that further tightening of monetary policy will be needed to ensure that inflation returns to target and that this period of high inflation is only temporary," he said.

"In assessing when and how much further interest rates need to increase, the Board will be paying close attention to developments in the global economy, trends in household spending and the outlook for inflation and the labour market.

"The Board remains resolute in its determination to return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that."

Food charities said they have seen as much as a 50 per cent increase in demand since Christmas, as Australians struggle to make ends meet.

"Of that 50 per cent, at least 20 per cent of presentations are first time users of the service," Michael Pernar from Laverton Community Integrated Services said.

Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, said it was bad news for homeowners already doing it tough and warned more hard times were likely ahead.

"Australians with the average loan size of around $600k will be forking out over $13,000 more per year on their mortgage compared to what they were paying a year ago," he said.

"While homeowners deserve a break from the relentless increase in pressure, we can expect ever more hikes from the RBA this year."

READ MORE: Big bank's ominous interest rate forecast

Eleanor Creagh, senior economist at property data firm PropTrack, said it's likely that the RBA is nearing the peak of hiking cycle.

"We're closer to the peak in interest rate tightening than not and if the Reserve Bank hits pause on its tightening cycle later this year, home prices will likely begin to stabilise as some of the uncertainty buyers have experienced with respect to borrowing capacities and mortgage servicing costs reduces," she said.

"The downward pressure from rate rises will also be countered to a degree by positive demand effects that stem from tight rental markets and rental price pressures, rebounding foreign migration, stronger wages growth, and over the long run, housing supply pressures."

Ten-straight interest rate hikes have dramatically increased the focus on Australia's central bank, with many calling for Lowe to stand down.

Despite this – and two sustained parliamentary inquiries – Lowe has remained defiant that he and the board will do whatever is necessary to curtail inflation.

"We recognise it's really difficult if you've got a mortgage and the interest rate has gone up," he told a Senate estimates committee last month.

"I get a lot of people writing to me at the moment telling me about their personal circumstances and it's really, really tough, I understand that.

"It's the job of the central bank to control inflation, to make sure that inflation expectations don't adjust and we avoid all those terrible things."

READ MORE: What is the fixed rate mortgage cliff, and how is it going to impact the Australian economy?

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