Commonwealth, state and territory Small Business Ministers met virtually on Wednesday 8 July, the eighth Small Business Ministers Meeting since it was re‑established in 2022.
Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC, Western Australian Minister for Small Business, hosted the virtual meeting, which was chaired by the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP, Commonwealth Minister for Small Business.
Ministers acknowledged the challenging environment small businesses have faced in the first half of 2026, including severe weather events and the fuel crisis. Ministers also discussed the ongoing pressures facing small businesses, including rising costs, workforce challenges and global uncertainty.
Ministers heard an update on the Telstra network outage that occurred on 8 July which has impacted some small businesses being unable to process EFTPOS transactions. Minister Aly provided an update to Ministers on the advice she provided to small businesses on record keeping following the outage. It was also noted that the Australian Communications and Media Authority is opening an investigation into whether Telstra has complied with its regulatory obligations.
Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the operating environment for small businesses, recognising their crucial role in driving productivity, economic growth and community resilience. They highlighted the importance of timely, targeted and coordinated support to maintain business confidence and continuity.
Ministers discussed common pain points for small businesses within and across jurisdictions and committed to continuing to utilise the Small Business Ministers’ Meetings to work through issues.
Ministers heard about the latest developments underway in the National Competition Policy (NCP) including the Federal 2026–27 Budget announcement of providing free access to mandatory standards. Ministers reinforced the value of bringing Small Business Ministers together to discuss common small business issues, where payment to access mandatory standards has been raised and shows the impact these discussions can have. Ministers agreed there will be many opportunities to consult with small businesses and inject the unique small business perspectives into the next tranches of NCP work.
Ministers will meet again in late 2026 to continue their focus on their shared priorities and progress work under the National Small Business Strategy to ensure small businesses remain at the centre of government decision making.