Consultative Services are delivered through two individual outputs; Meteorological Advice, which is more likely to involve activities carried out in the public interest, and Special Investigations, which are generally entered into on a contractual and commercial basis. Each output, nevertheless, contributes to the achievement of the desired outcome. The developments relating to each individual output during 2003-04 and their contribution to the outcome are considered below.

METEOROLOGICAL ADVICE 

Meteorological advice includes professional advice on meteorological and related issues and applications. Where there is a clear public interest, the advice is provided on a free or cost recovery basis. Education on, and promotion of, the use of weather and climate information, as well as contributions to Australian Standards, are provided free of charge.

Major developments 2003-04

• Development of a new method for estimating lightning ground flash density from the Bureau lightning flash counter network as a contribution by the Bureau to the revision of the Australian Standard / New Zealand Standard for Lightning Protection. Publications on the topic were also prepared.
• The update of the tropical cyclone archive and the derivation of maps of occurrences of tropical cyclones as part of ongoing efforts to update the tropical cyclone climatology for the southern hemisphere. The maps have been placed on the Bureau website for public access.
• Production of a brochure to provide guidance for house design to suit warm/hot and humid climates for distribution in relevant areas of northern Australia (Figure 31).
• Provision of many and diverse consultative services through the regional CCSs, including advice on weather events affecting traffic hazards, surveying of potential sites for storing hazardous wastes, the effects of heat and humidity on power supply and demand, bushfire vulnerability assessments, and weather and climate advice for legal proceedings.

Figure 31. A brochure produced to provide advice on housing design in humid climates.

Contribution towards outcome

• Projects such as the lightning flash density estimation, the tropical cyclone climatology and the housing design brochure promote better understanding of the importance of weather and climate in the design of energy efficient and cost-effective structures that can withstand the exacting conditions often experienced in Australia's varied climates.

Bureau of Meteorology officers at the Bureau's display at the 2004 Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) Outlook conference, Canberra. The conference provides the opportunity to promote Bureau services and capabilities to major user groups.

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS 

Since commencing operations in 1990, the Special Services Unit (SSU) has provided specialised meteorological and related services on a commercial basis. SSU offices are located in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Darwin. The SSU operates on the basis of competitive neutrality with the private sector and non-interference with the public good functions of overseas National Meteorological Services (NMS).

Major developments 2003-04

• Continued provision of technical support for the United States Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) network out of Darwin for their climate research facilities in the tropical western Pacific. A specific highlight was the development of a HOGEN 20 based hydrogen generation system for deployment at Manus Island, Papua New Guinea and the related receipt of a Distinguished Performance Award from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• Installation and commissioning of automatic weather stations at Redcliffe (Queensland) and Kanagulk (Victoria) and installation of radio transmitters to broadcast aerodrome weather information at Newman (Western Australia), Essendon (Victoria), Bendigo (Victoria), Griffith (New South Wales) and Moree (New South Wales) airports.
• Continuation of a major project to provide the Venezuelan Ministry of Environment and Renewable Resources with upgraded meteorological infrastructure, with the installation of the Bureau's Computer Message Switching System (CMSS) and Australian Integrated Forecast System (AIFS) at Maracay.
• Commencement of a major project to upgrade the meteorological infrastructure of the Kuwait Meteorological Service in conjunction with an Australian firm Almos Systems Pty Ltd.

Contribution towards outcome

• The activities of the SSU assist in the promotion of Australian companies and their expertise in the international arena. The ability of the SSU to attract a number of major partners in international markets reinforced its role as a quality provider of specialised meteorological and related services.