The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities has called on the Federal Government to develop a national open platform for critical data on disasters.

The group, which includes IAG, Munich Re, the Red Cross, Optus, Westpac and property group Investa, says it is imperative for communities, business and governments to have access to the latest research so they can make informed decisions on property and infrastructure.

The proposed platform would include information on flood elevation, resilience of building materials, long-term weather patterns and location of assets.

It would encourage consistency in data collection, enable gaps to be filled and allow priorities to be set for spending on resilience.

“These recommendations will help to unlock the full potential of data and research and reduce the burden on natural disasters on the Australian economy and our communities,” a report for the roundtable says. “However, they can only be achieved through a shared effort by governments, businesses and communities.”

The report by Deloitte Access Economics says restrictive licensing arrangements and councils’ fear of being sued can prevent data-sharing, and collecting information is expensive.

Governments, universities, businesses and other agencies can contribute to natural disaster research, but their work can be difficult and costly to access.

The report suggests the appointment of a national resilience adviser to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.