![Australia’s fuel crisis: Essential live updates for businesses [updated]](https://assets.smartcompany.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/04/SC_-Fuel-crisis_1920x1080_3.jpg?quality=70&w=1920)
Australia’s fuel crisis: Essential live updates for businesses [updated]
The fuel crisis is affecting businesses across Australia. Here are the latest updates businesses need to know.
Elevated fuel prices are affecting the vast majority of Australian businesses, with the hardest-hit traders cancelling contracts, slashing their opening hours, or lowering production, new research shows.
Western Australia has awarded $2.5 million to startups, accelerators and founder programs under the Innovation Pathways Program.
MYOB has confirmed a five-year deal with US technology giant Microsoft, as it adjusts to the disruption caused by artificial intelligence.
Five Australian startups have raised $30.1 million this week across enterprise AI infrastructure, SaaS, women’s health diagnostics and more.
The leaders of a hospitality juggernaut, a cult sustainable lifestyle brand and a global cat litter sensation gave us an inside look at what it really takes to build, break, rebuild and scale a business.
In 2026, the discussion around AI in Australia will shift from “can it work?” to “how quickly can it bridge our productivity gap?”, writes Stephanie Wells, Salesforce’s area vice president of sales for emerging and small businesses, Australia and New Zealand.
East Forged has beaten global giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to win Best Drink Innovation at the 2026 World Food Innovation Awards.
Solo side-hustlers and gig workers are behind rising business formation numbers, and without a steady supply of new employing businesses, Australian productivity and competition could stagnate.
Meta’s Muse Spark shows how AI shopping is moving into social feeds. Here's what it means for small business visibility, discovery and sales.
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The Prime Minister announced 26 cents off a litre and called it relief. But an accountant who works with Australia’s transport industry every day, explains the other side of the ledger.
Prospa and Judo Bank are among the SME lenders that are offering adjustments and other support to businesses amid the ongoing fuel crisis.
The components of a successful startup remain the same, billion-dollar founder and tech investor Leigh Jasper told the Growth Summit.
What does it actually mean when a VC says you're "too early" to invest in? Is it a signal you need to do more, or just a soft rejection?
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DOWNLOAD: The 2025 Smart50 Awards – Meet Australia’s fastest-growing small businesses
From groundbreaking tech innovations to sustainability initiatives and customer-first strategies, these businesses show what’s possible when determination meets innovation.
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How Smart50 finalist Pest2Kill is bringing a premium marketing mindset to an “unsexy” industry
After a strong performance at the 2025 Smart50 Awards, head of marketing Sophie Taylor explained why Pest2Kill's marketing works — and shared lessons for other businesses in unglamorous fields.
1. Michu Pet Supplies
Qinghua Siluo started Michu Pet Supplies to address the troubling lack of environmentally friendly cat litter products on the market. Here's how it fared in the Smart50 Awards 2025.
A controversial GST deal with Western Australia once forecast to cost $9 billion could now blow out to more than $60 billion.
Teal MP Allegra Spender says capital gains tax reform, and a major overhaul to the way family trusts are taxed, would make the system fairer.
NSW has activated emergency powers as fuel shortages worsen, collecting supply data and preparing possible intervention to maintain fuel access.
The government will roll out NRF-backed interest-free loans for small businesses, including freight and fuel operators, amid the fuel crisis.
Australian states and territories each have different rules for trading over Easter 2026. Find out which days are considered public holidays and the trading rules that apply.
The receiver for Click Frenzy and Power Retail is pursuing an urgent sales campaign for both businesses and their assets.
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Hiring internationally can solve a skills gap quickly. But compliance – pay minimums, payroll add-ons, leave entitlements, termination rules – can be where businesses come unstuck. Here’s what the data says about hiring across Australia, Singapore and the broader region.
