Working together to make communities safer

The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities was formed in December 2012 by business and organisational leaders from the Australian Red Cross, IAG, Investa, Munich RE, Optus and Westpac, with a shared vision to ensure that communities across Australia were better able to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters triggered by natural hazards.

The 2019-20 bushfires, flood and hail events were a catalyst for a big uptick in government and sector-specific efforts to make communities and organisations more resilient. This is a positive shift towards a more resilient Australia. 

The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities (ABR) has played an important role influencing this change. ABR reports and advocacy have helped to inform actions governments are now implementing, including establishing the National Recovery and Resilience Agency.

The ABR is taking this opportunity to change the way it works. There is a transition from ABR-led activities to Member-led action. The ABR has delivered the anticipated update on the economic costs of natural disasters and the Resilience Valuation Initiative will provide a valuable legacy.