Australia consumer confidence hit by global gloom: poll

Sydney

A MEASURE of Australian consumer sentiment fell for a second straight month in July with households seemingly spooked by gloomy media coverage of events in China and Greece, underlying how volatile the mood has become.

The survey of 1,200 people by the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank showed its index of consumer sentiment fell a seasonally adjusted 3.2 per cent in July, from June.

The index reading of 92.2 was 2.8 per cent lower than in June 2014 and the weakest since December.

The drop has more than wiped out the May bounce that followed a cut in interest rates to record lows and a government budget that included a surprise tax break for small bu…