The business lobby has urged national cabinet to develop ready-made assistance packages for firms to get back on their feet quickly following natural disasters.
Small businesses had been experiencing "grant fatigue" following events such as bushfires and floods, Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott told a parliamentary inquiry into disaster resilience.
More immediate relief measures should be ready for rollout in the aftermath of a disaster to get businesses back trading quickly, Ms Westacott said, rather than having to wait to apply for larger assistance packages.
"What we are proposing is that ... national cabinet develop a standing disaster assistance package that could be pulled off the shelf and immediately activated following a disaster," she told the inquiry on Wednesday.
"What we can do is get in early and just give people money for getting their equipment so they can keep going."
Ms Westacott said the funding should not impact on access to welfare payments such as JobSeeker. Such a scheme would also help businesses keep employees in a job in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
With disasters becoming more frequent and more intense, the business lobby chief said it had been challenging for companies to apply for government grants as part of their rebuilding efforts, with the system being difficult to navigate.
"We need to alleviate what we call a grant fatigue because they've been through a rolling series of disasters," she said.
Greater clarity was also needed for businesses on how disaster recovery efforts are co-ordinated, Ms Westacott said.
The recovery process was often concerned with rebuilding structures, yet other factors also needed consideration.
"It's not just about this rebuild, it's about how supermarkets have to stay open, how we get supply chains working, how we keep telecommunications working," she said.
The committee is due to report in September.
