Summary of key findings
Extent of impacts (direct and indirect)
- 49% of all state-wide respondents were impacted by the floods in some capacity
- 20% of all businesses indicated they were directly impacted by the floods
- 45% of all respondents were indirectly impacted
- Of those reported affected by the floods, one in four were required to close following the floods.
- 62% of flood affected businesses were impacted through affected suppliers compared to 38% in 2011.
Download the report for further data on:
- Cost of damage
- Lost earnings
- Business closures and other impacts
- Degree of impacts
- Insurance claims
Quotes from impacted businesses
“Clients could not/would not travel, and events were cancelled again, so clients did not bring work in. After such a tough two years, it was another blow.”
– Personal services, small business, Brisbane
“The impact by the floods was significant on our suppliers in turn affecting parts supplies for our business operations.”
– Personal services, small business, Central Queensland
“Our bus depots had the be evacuated, we were fully flooded, then suffered major uncertainty with service delivery.”
– Transport, postage and storage, medium business, South West Queensland
“Reopening required a major investment for builders, electricians, painters, refrigeration technicians to get us to reopen. We lost a considerable amount of stock which all required sorting, cleaning, and salvaging what we could. We are now faced with a persistent mould issue which has meant additional stock loss and considerable time and money to continue to combat this.”
– Retail, small business, Sunshine Coast
Business Chamber Queensland's submission to Queensland Government in response to 2022 floods
In the days after the floods, Business Chamber Queensland made a submission to the Queensland Government that recommended what support would likely be needed for an effective recovery. Our recommendations in this initial submission were based on data Business Chamber Queensland had previously collected six months after the 2011 Brisbane flooding event.
The impacts of the 2022 flooding events were also experienced on top of existing constraints and challenges businesses faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Business Chamber Queensland’s December quarter 2021 Pulse Survey reported the emergence of the Omicron variant in Queensland had significant impacts on Queensland business confidence, staff availability, and mental health. Our recommendations focused on response, relief, and recovery, as shown below.
Recommendations:
- Activation and enhancement of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (Category B)
- Activation of Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (Category C)
- Activation and broadening of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements for exceptional circumstances (Category D)
- Australian Government Emergency Response Fund
- Taxation and Permits Assistance (State and Commonwealth)
- Ongoing Recovery: Business Continuity Support Package
