<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Exclusive:</span></strong><span> The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="_blank" title="fuel crisis"><span>fuel crisis</span></a><span> is hitting tradies harder than most and the rest of Australia could soon feel the sting as businesses are forced to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/money" rel="" target="_blank" title="raise prices"><span>raise prices</span></a><span> or go bust.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jac Northam, 26, recently started his joinery company </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jac.designn/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Jac Design"><span>Jac Design</span></a><span> and used to spend about $150 a week on fuel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now it's nearly double that at $285 a week – and the cost just keeps rising.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>WORLD:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-iran-gift-oil-and-gas-middle-east-usa-politics-news/a8aa0c9b-666b-4323-92bf-af32bf6c7019" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump claims Iran has lavished the US with expensive gift</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It could have dire consequences for the young tradie.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I've had to reduce what I pay myself and avoid tolls as much as possible to make sure I've got extra money in my business to cover it," he told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is going to have a major knock-on effect not just in my life, but within the industry."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-shortage-australia-petrol-diesel-prices-tradies-worse-off/e6f67a9b-2f4d-4ed5-8edf-d5eaf3afaad4" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The fuel crisis is putting huge financial strain on tradies, especially those who run small businesses and don't have a guaranteed income every week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many are already contending with surging material costs due to supply chain disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now petrol has surpassed $2.50 a litre in many locations and diesel, which many tradies' work vehicles run on, is over $3 a litre in parts of Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hundreds of servos across the country are currently </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-24-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/a6d7c67d-9a69-4279-88eb-985ccda7fb13" rel="" target="_blank" title="without at least one type of fuel"><span>without at least one type of fuel</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/bALJSVYOSY3s8qBcM6zY-YfT02A=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2026%2F03%2F762444%2Fpickerimage.jpg"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government has suggested Aussies work from home to save cash and conserve fuel but that's just not an option for tradies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"How do you expect a whole industry that relies on cars and fuel to provide income to stay at home?" Northam said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'd love to do my part and save fuel for the people that need it most, like the farmers and emergency services, but how am I meant to get a van full of tools to site everyday?"</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He suspects the situation get worse before it gets better.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That's bad news for small businesses that don't have the money to absorb rising fuel prices for much longer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nikki Chamberlain runs Specialized Garage Door, a garage door maintenance and installation business in Perth, and her staff drive between up to eight sites every day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The business' fuel bill has exploded by more than 20 per cent in the last few weeks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mel-schilling-death-married-at-first-sight-expert-dies-following-cancer-battle/5f002ab3-4955-4f34-b1e6-a2b15822fda3" target="_blank"><strong><span>MAFS psychologist Mel Schilling dies aged 54</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's so much money and there's nothing that we can do to reduce it, we don't have the option of working from home," Chamberlain told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's very scary at the moment for small business owners."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The small family business is absorbing the cost for the time being with the hopes it will recoup the cash once the crisis has eased.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Chamberlain doesn't want to push the added cost onto clients because it could hurt the business in the long-term.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But if prices don't drop soon, she may have no other choice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We won't be the only business that does, everyone will just have to increase their cost of business or their cost of sale," Chamberlain said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Then it will become a case of either people will go elsewhere if they can find cheaper options, or they decide to hold off certain services."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/salepaintingptyltd/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Sale Painting and Decorating"><span>Sale Painting and Decorating</span></a><span> owner Stuart Sale confessed he'll likely have to start adjust quotes if fuel costs don't let up.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His full bill has almost doubled in the last few weeks and though he's "cracking on" for now, the business won't stay profitable if he doesn't start charging clients more.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I do worry," he told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If I were to increase my rates it would impact me considerably, because it's tough to win jobs without competitively pricing."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NATIONAL:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-prices-updates-iran-war-trucking-industry/13a5b797-8e31-40bf-8260-cc83f4f8601e" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Simply cannot keep going': Entire industry facing extinction amid fuel crisis</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's tough to stay competitive on cost at the best of times and he'd prefer not to pass on extra costs to his customers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But if things don't let up, he may not have a choice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Businesses that don't or can't find ways around skyrocketing fuel prices could go bust unless the federal or state governments step in.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some tradies have called for a subsidy or tax break to support the industries hit the hardest by the fuel crisis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Carpenter and site supervisor Rodrigo Zanchetta, 39, is among them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A government subsidy would definitely help people that can't work from home and financially support their families," he told nine.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He used to spend about $200 on fuel each week, now it's setting him back $300.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>CRIME:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/chris-bagsharian-two-arrested-alleged-murder-kidnapping-sydney/11765004-e46f-4531-8875-c98e6f4a8eab" target="_blank"><strong><span>Two more arrested over alleged kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zanchetta has been forced to dip into his savings to cover it and he's stressed about the long-term financial impacts if the fuel crisis worsens.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Without a subsidy or some other financial support, he fears tradies without stable finances won't be able to make ends meet.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As little as it sounds, a couple hundred bucks goes a long way."</span></div></div><div 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