Industries with Riskiest Business Environments in Australia in 2026

• 1. Coal Mining in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 8

  Coal is a key input in steelmaking and energy generation. Although coal deposits are found all over the world, Australia is one of the world's lowest-cost producers and a major coal exporter. Domestic reserves exceed domestic demand, are high grade and are economical to access. As a result, exports account for a large share of coal mining revenue. Imports are negligible, as local production is higher than domestic demand for coal. Black coal mining accounts for most activity, with some brown ...

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• 2. Iron Ore Mining in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  Iron ore miners have faced difficult trading conditions because of easing iron ore prices over the past few years, despite the nation maintaining its status as the world's largest iron ore supplier and benefiting from proximity to Asian markets. However, modest growth in production volumes has partly offset revenue declines. Industry revenue is expected to have sunk at an annualised 1.7% over the five years through 2024-25, to $131.5 billion. Easing iron ore prices, driven primarily by a slow...

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• 3. Cotton Ginning in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  The Cotton Ginning industry is an important part of the agricultural support services and national cotton sectors, and is closely linked to the Cotton Growing industry. That’s why various agricultural and weather-related factors indirectly affect cotton ginners, like climatic conditions, water supply regulation, cotton stockpiling, and global cotton consumption and production fluctuations. Typically, cotton is harvested and ginned towards the end of the financial year, with any surplus produc...

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• 4. Credit Unions and Building Societies in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  The Credit Unions and Building Societies industry has faced challenging operating conditions over the past few years. While low interest rates after the COVID-19 outbreak cut into interest income generated on providers' loan books, the RBA has since been consistently hiking the cash rate. This trend has elevated interest income through higher interest rates on existing loans. Government incentives, like the First Home Guarantee scheme, have fuelled demand from first-homeowners despite decline...

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• 5. Non-Depository Financing in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  The industry has grown on the back of increased loan volumes and high interest rates. A high interest rate environment has allowed non-bank lenders to charge higher rates, boosting their revenue. However, it has also hiked their funding costs, hindering profitability as net interest margins plunged. The mortgage war in 2023 saw authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) offer competitive rates and attractive packages like cashback. This trend intensified competition and squeezed non-bank l...

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• 6. Oil and Gas Extraction in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  Oil and gas producers have experienced significant revenue volatility. Changes in oil and gas prices, exchange rate movements, annual production volumes, and domestic and export demand for oil and gas all influence the industry’s performance. Output has expanded over the past decade, while world oil and natural gas prices have displayed significant volatility.

  Australia's natural gas production, which comprises most of the industry, has soared over the past decade as new gas fields hav...

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• 7. Foreign Banks in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  The Foreign Banks industry includes domestic subsidiaries of foreign banks and branches of foreign banks, which have grown over the past few years as soaring interest rates contributed to a sharp revenue rise. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained a relatively low cash rate over the past decade – especially in response to the pandemic – to stimulate economic activity. The low cash rate environment hampered foreign banks' revenue in the three years through 2021-22. In May 2022, this a...

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• 8. Coal Seam Gas Extraction in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

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• 9. Finance in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  The Finance sector's operating environment was previously characterised by record-low interest rates. Nonetheless, high inflation prompted the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to hike the cash rate from May 2022 onwards. This shift allowed financial institutions to impose higher loan charges, propelling their revenue. Banks raised interest rates quicker than funding costs in the first half of 2022-23, boosting net interest margins. However, sophisticated competition and digital disruption have...

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• 10. Petroleum Refining and Petroleum Fuel Manufacturing in Australia

  Business Environment Risk for 2026: 7

  The Petroleum Refining and Petroleum Fuel Manufacturing industry has faced highly volatile conditions over recent years, as the pandemic wreaked turmoil on global energy supply chains. The global situation filtered down to Australia's petroleum market, contributing to the closure of two of Australia's last four remaining oil refineries. BP closed its refinery in Kwinana, while ExxonMobil shut down the Altona refinery. Both the closed refineries were converted into import terminals, directly i...

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