Bushfire Business Preparedness

Businesses in the Rockhampton Region need to be prepared for possible disruptions due to bushfires, which are most common during the spring months. Taking a few steps now to prepare for impacts such as power and internet outages, supply chain interruptions, workforce disruptions and insurance claims will allow your business to reopen as efficiently as possible following a disaster and reduce the overall impact on your bottom line.

While businesses in the vicinity of Mount Archer National Park, Mount Morgan and Gracemere have all been impacted by bushfires in recent decades, bushfires can burn anywhere in our region, including urban areas.

The Australian Government’s National Emergency Management Agency has found that more than half of small businesses without a disaster plan will permanently close within a few years of a major loss caused by a bushfire.

Is my business likely to be affected by bushfires?

The Rockhampton Region’s fire season runs throughout Spring, however, the timing and severity of bushfires will vary with fuel loads, climate patterns and weather. Fires are likely to be at their most dangerous during hot, dry and windy conditions.

Council’s Emergency Dashboard includes a Bushfire Risk Map, which allows you to determine whether your business operates in a high-risk area and enable you to plan accordingly.

Even if you aren’t in a bushfire-prone area or directly affected by a fire, regional utility outages can result in a loss of stock or digital systems, making it difficult to trade as you normally would. Road closures may prevent staff and customers from accessing your business, while coverage of disasters can create a false perception that the region is unsafe or inaccessible, deterring travel.

What are the business impacts of a bushfire?

In the event of a bushfire in the Rockhampton Region, your business could be subjected to both direct and indirect impacts:

• Fire can damage or destroy your business and fit-out. If you lease a business space, your landlord’s insurance will cover the building but not anything inside. Stock, equipment, fit-out and data are your responsibility to protect.
• Damaged stock, equipment, machinery and contents. You will be responsible for replacing any of these items in the event of fire damage inside a leased business space.
• Data loss. Information and digital data that are not backed up offsite or in the cloud can be lost if hard drives are damaged or destroyed.
• Utility and telecommunications outages. Power outages can cause stock to spoil or halt production; digital and communication outages can affect your ability to place orders, accept card and digital payments and communicate with customers and staff. You may be impacted by outages, even if a bushfire is some distance away.
• Limited access and road closures. Your staff and customers may be unable to access your business, cutting off revenue.
• Media coverage can create negative perceptions which may deter customers from travelling to your business, believing it is unsafe or inaccessible to do so.

How do I prepare my business for a bushfire?

Having a Business Continuity Plan and Fire Evacuation Plan before a bushfire will help protect your workers and minimise disruptions if you are affected by a bushfire.

Ahead of a bushfire you should:

• Assign roles in case your business needs to evacuate, including who will secure the premises, save critical IT data and move high-value stock.
• Map evacuation roles and routes, for your premises (including exits from your building, assembly points and how you’ll check everyone has evacuated safely) and general location, in the event of an area evacuation.
• Conduct seasonal briefings, running through your procedures and educating new staff.
• Make your plan accessible by having printed and digital copies available.
• Prepare a business go-bag with printed insurance, lease, ownership and payroll records, petty cash, keys and chargers.

If you need to evacuate your business because of a bushfire you should:

• Always follow the instructions of emergency services.
• Activate your business continuity plan and brief staff.
• Contact staff and tell them not to come to work.
• Forward your business phone to a mobile number.
• Turn off electricity, gas and water at the mains if safe to do so.
• Check neighbouring businesses and provide support and information if safe to do so.
• Lock and secure your business before leaving.

How can I minimise disruptions to my business caused by bushfires?

The Australian Government’s National Emergency Management Agency recommends the following to improve the resilience of your business:

• Update your asset register, documenting infrastructure and stock with images and videos to assist with insurance claims.
• Review business interruption margins by checking that your payout limits can cover any supply chain interruptions and cash flow challenges.
• Test remote-access setups by confirming staff can access critical sales, HR, payroll and files remotely.
• Prepare your physical business by clearing gutters of debris, testing backup power and ensuring any ember guards are secure.
• Prepare your supply chain by mapping where your essential suppliers operate, planning backup contracts if they are in a high-risk bushfire area and establishing offsite storage for critical inventory.
• Automate data redundancy by moving files and essential software off local hard-drives and onto automated and encrypted cloud-based networks.

Spending money upfront to improve your business’s resilience ahead of a disaster can improve the long-term financial stability of your operations if you are affected by a bushfire in the future.

Business insurance

Reviewing your insurance

You should review your business insurance policies to ensure you have an appropriate level of cover, particularly when renewing your policy.

By default, policies may not include flood damage, revenue lost due to business interruption or tenant fit-outs, so check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) every time you renew or change your policy.

You shouldn’t assume that your insurance policy will cover all aspects of your business operations. For full protection, you may need separate cover for commercial property, general liability, machinery and equipment, stock and contents, business interruption, and flood and storm damage.

Making a claim

If you need to make a claim following a bushfire, you’ll need to:

• Contact your insurance provider or broker as soon as it’s safe to do so. Request a claim reference number and ask them to confirm what cover applies to your situation.
• Write a summary of that conversation for your records.
• Notify your insurer before starting repairs or cleanup.

To support your claim, you may need:

• Photos and videos of all damage, before you begin moving, cleaning or repairing anything.
• Receipts for emergency repairs, equipment hire and any temporary premises you’re operating from.
• Your asset register.
• A record of lost revenue if you have cover for business interruption.

The importance of preparing for a bushfire

Preparing your business ahead of bushfire season can take as little as 90 minutes and could save your business up to 12 months in recovery following a disaster—not to mention the significant financial and personal toll.

For more information on disaster preparedness, response and recovery for your business, click here. We recommend reviewing this information in conjunction with Rockhampton Regional Council’s full suite of Disaster Management Resources.

Additional information on preparing for a bushfire can be found on the Queensland Fire Department website.

This information has been developed based on Rockhampton Regional Council’s Disaster Management Resources, and the Australian Government’s National Emergency Management Agency’s ‘Protecting your business’ booklet. This resource is provided in good faith, but does not take your individual circumstances into consideration and should be considered general advice only. In a life-threatening emergency, call triple zero (000) immediately.

Last updated 12 September 2026.