Supply Nation says its members spent a record $6.79 billion with verified Indigenous businesses in FY2025–26. That is a 16.5 per cent rise on the previous year's $5.83 billion. Corporate buyers accounted for about two-thirds of the spending, while government procurement rose 33 per cent to $2.2 billion. Supply Nation CEO Kate Russell said the figures reflect economic empowerment and stronger communities. CPB Contractors and ARA Indigenous Services highlighted a partnership that aims to create employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Online fast-fashion retailer Shein has outperformed several well-known Australian retailers on ethical standards, according to the 11th Baptist World Aid ethical fashion report. Shein scored 28, below the average of 31.5, but ahead of Myer, Windsor Smith, Ghanda and Boardriders. Only 13 per cent of the companies surveyed could show they paid a living wage to any supply chain workers. Baptist World Aid's ethical fashion lead, Katherine Halliday, said the average overall score had improved by just 0.2 per cent since the previous report, and called for more government action.
Progress on ethical and sustainable practice in Australia's fashion industry has stalled, according to Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion Report, which assessed 500 brands across 48 measures. Brands averaged 31.5 out of 100, a marginal rise from 2024. Katherine Halliday said companies were writing sound policies but failing to put them into practice for garment workers, particularly on living wages and access to grievance mechanisms. Luxury and fast fashion brands scored similarly, while outdoor brand Patagonia ranked highly.
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Most Australian fashion brands cannot show that workers in their overseas supply chains are paid a living wage, a new report has found. Baptist World Aid Australia analysed more than 500 local fashion houses, and 87 per cent could not provide evidence of living wage payments. In final-stage factories, a living wage was paid in only 3 per cent of cases. Report author Katherine Halliday said brands are talking about sustainability but not delivering real change for workers. She said cheap clothing demand is adding to the problem, and that paying workers fairly would raise consumer prices only slightly.
Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner Chris Evans has proposed reforms to reduce repetitive compliance paperwork for small and medium-sized enterprises. In a new paper, he sets out three proposals to make modern slavery checks more proportionate and efficient for smaller businesses. Smaller suppliers are often asked to complete questionnaires and give assurances to multiple customers in different formats. The proposals include matching requests to actual risk, letting suppliers share information once with several customers, and giving smaller businesses a say in developing approaches. Evans said the aim is smarter due diligence, not less of it.
US workers facing extreme heat are pressing major brands to improve conditions. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers runs a Fair Food Program that targets retailers' reputations, and now requires electrolytes on participating farms. Retailers pay a small premium for produce from compliant farms, which can lose preferred status if they break the code. Efforts to win heat protections through Florida's state and county governments have stalled, and a proposed federal heat standard has also stalled. Campaigners say the model could spread through the industry.
The Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces have reignited a decades-long conflict over control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key trading corridor. The Houthis seized the port city of Mocha in September, but Yemeni forces have since recaptured it and deployed fighter jets to guard the waterway. The conflict could impact Australia's supply of essential goods, including medicine, and disrupt global trade routes. The strait handles about 9 per cent of global oil demand and is a critical route for shipping between continents.
Truck drivers in regional areas are facing financial strain due to soaring fuel costs, with one operator reporting weekly diesel expenses exceeding $4000. Mitchell Savaro, a truck driver since 2003, noted diesel prices have risen from $1.30 per litre to over $2.70. Rising transport costs are increasing prices for everyday goods, while some companies are switching to larger vehicles to manage expenses. The NSW Government has expanded access for higher-capacity trucks to reduce fuel consumption. A Heavy Vehicle Truck Forum will be held in November to address industry challenges.
