In 2025, Australian businesses operate in a landscape marked by escalating cyber threats, intensifying natural disasters, and ever‑evolving regulatory environments. Against this backdrop, a robust Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is no longer optional, it’s a strategic imperative.

Australia’s geographic isolation and extreme weather patterns such as bushfires, floods and cyclones present unique hazards. With major weather disruptions increasingly frequent, reactive responses fall short. Businesses need strategies that sustain operations before, during and after such disasters.

Cyber incidents, including ransomware, phishing and data breaches, are climbing sharply. The Australian Cyber Security Centre reports a rising annual trend in ransomware attacks. A comprehensive BCP helps organisations plan for and recover quickly from these incidents, minimising financial and reputational damage.

Businesses without a tested continuity plan risk significant losses, including operational downtime, data loss, diminished customer confidence, and increased customer attrition.

A well‑executed BCP preserves customer and stakeholder confidence by enabling continued service. It also supports legal compliance with regulations such as the Privacy Act 1988 and the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Modern BCP frameworks typically include:

  • Business Impact Analysis (BIA): identifying critical systems, loss tolerance and cascading effects across people, partners and IT.
  • Risk Assessment: mapping threats to operations, suppliers, infrastructure and personnel.
  • Recovery Strategies: ensuring workarounds, backups, alternative service routes, and supplier diversification.
  • Communication Plans: clear, pre‑defined protocols for staff, clients, suppliers and regulators.
  • Training & Testing: regular drills, review cycles and plan updates to keep protocols current and address vulnerabilities.

QRMC delivers a full range of business continuity management services from reviewing or testing existing plans to the development of new business continuity management programs. Please contact us for more information or assistance.