News & Articles
When natural disaster strikes: Five lessons to ready your business and support community resilience
4 March 2021
By sharing knowledge, collaborating and leading by example, the ABR believes business leaders can help move the dial on national resilience in ways that support government, business and community decisions. With a window into Members’ operations, this article shares five lessons and case studies from the 2019-20 bushfire season, hoping to encourage other organisations to better understand – and take steps to improve – their own resilience, as well as improve the resilience of their employees and communities.
Australian Business Roundtable welcomes Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements report
4 November 2020
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities (ABR) has welcomed the final report recommendations for the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.
APRA Executive Board Member Geoff Summerhayes speech to Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities webinar
20 October 2020
On 14 October 2020, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) Executive Board Member Geoff Summerhayes addressed Members of the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities. His speech “A Burning Platform” warns that greater national investment in natural disaster mitigation and resilience is needed to ensure that insurance remains available and affordable in disaster-prone parts of the country, especially in northern Australia.
NSW Bushfire Inquiry shows preparedness and resilience are ‘central to the way forward’
2 September 2020
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities (ABR) welcomes the comprehensive findings and recommendations of the independent NSW Bushfire Inquiry, and the Government’s swift in principle acceptance of recommendations.
ABR welcomes creation of Resilience NSW
16 April 2020
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities congratulates the NSW Government on the creation of Resilience NSW.
ABR members support customers and communities affected by bushfires
16 January 2020
Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities members are supporting customers and communities affected by the bushfires.
Australian Business Roundtable welcomes the establishment of a National Resilience Taskforce
13 April 2018
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities (the Roundtable) has congratulated the Commonwealth Government on establishing a National Resilience Taskforce to reduce the impact of natural disasters on communities across the country.
Natural Disaster Costs To Reach $39 Billion Per Year By 2050
21 November 2017
The total costs of natural disasters in Australia are forecast to more than double in real terms to $39 billion per year by 2050, according to a new report released today by the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities (the Roundtable).
ABR emphasises the need for a better funding mix after Government’s response to disaster mitigation funding
6 January 2017
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities acknowledges the Australian Government response to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements, as a first step to the rebuild of more resilient infrastructure post a natural disaster. However, the Roundtable believes that more work needs to be done particularly in the area of funding for disaster resilience and mitigation and would urge the Government to reconsider its decision to delay increased funding for this critical recommendation.
ABR welcomes government decision to reduce flood risk in the Hawkesbury-Nepean
29 July 2016
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities acknowledges and welcomes the decision to reduce floor risk in the Hawkesbury-Nepean by raising the wall of Sydney's Warragamba Dam.
Natural disasters to cost Australia $33 billion per year by 2050
2 March 2016
The total annual cost of natural disasters in Australia is expected to increase from $9 billion to $33 billion by 2050, according to two reports, The Economic Cost of the Social Impact of Natural Disasters, and Building Resilient Infrastructure launched today by the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities.
Roundtable champions better-protected communities on U.N. day for disaster risk reduction
13 October 2015
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities says Australia remains one of the most vulnerable nations to natural disasters despite being one of the world’s most developed countries.
Devastating social costs of natural disasters to be measured for first time
17 September 2015
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities will create a first ever framework to measure the long-term social impact of natural disasters on the Australian community, and will also create national infrastructure investment guidelines for building resilience into critical infrastructure.
Australian partnership honoured in Global Disaster Reduction Awards
18 March 2015
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities was awarded the certificate of distinction in the prestigious 2015 United Nations Sasakawa Awards for Risk Reduction overnight in Japan, the first private sector organisation to do so in the 30 year history of the awards.
Business Roundtable selected as United Nations Disaster Reduction finalist
10 March 2015
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities has been short-listed as one of three finalists for the prestigious United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction, due to be announced in Japan later this month.
Productivity Commission report into natural disasters - an opportunity to make Australians safer
25 September 2014
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities has welcomed the draft report of the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements.
New approach to data and research critical to protecting lives and property
16 July 2014
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities today launched its latest report ‘Building an Open Platform for Natural Disaster Resilience Decisions,’ which calls for open access to critical data and research.
Inquiry Into Natural Disaster Funding A Positive Step For A Safer Australia
28 April 2014
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities has welcomed the announcement of terms of reference for a Productivity Commission Inquiry into Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements. Speaking on behalf of the Roundtable, Insurance Australia Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Wilkins said: “It’s in the interests of all Australians that we change the way we prepare for natural disasters".
National approach to co-ordinating research key to reducing impact and costs of natural disasters
24 March 2014
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities announced today that it will release a report that analyses the need for a national approach to consolidating research, data and associated funding to better protect Australian communities against the impact of natural disasters.
Business Roundtable Supports Inquiry Into Natural Disaster Funding
7 January 2014
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities has welcomed the Federal Government’s intention to establish a Productivity Commission inquiry into national disaster funding arrangements in 2014.
Business Roundtable Wins Federal Government Award
5 December 2013
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities has today won a National Resilient Australia Award for its contribution to public policy to help government, business and communities better prepare for natural disasters.
A better way to protect Australia from Natural Disasters
20 June 2013
The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities released a White Paper that details a more sustainable and comprehensive approach to managing natural disasters that could ultimately save lives, reduce damage to property and vital national infra-structure, and free taxpayer money to spend on essential public services.
Australian business comes together to create safer communities
12 December 2012
Insurance Australia Group, Investa Property Group, Munich Re, Optus, Australian Red Cross, and Westpac Group, today announced they had partnered to form The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities.