Hydrological services are delivered through three individual outputs. Each individual output contributes to the achievement of the desired outcome. The developments related to each individual output during 2003-04 and their contribution to the outcome are addressed below.

WATER RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 

Water Resources Assessment contributes to the assessment and management of Australia's water resources through coordination of the Bureau's input to water resources related issues and projects. This includes the assessment, design and development of data collection networks, development of information systems, development of water management decision support tools and the monitoring of climate variability and climate change issues that may impact on future water resource availability. The Water Resources Assessment group also acts as a focus for Australian input to, and dissemination of information from, the international hydrology and water resources programs of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Major developments 2003-04

• Successful installation of new software to manage the rainfall intensity network data loggers and observational record in all Regional Offices and completion of associated training.
• Development of a Water Resources Station Catalogue (WRSC) to provide details of river, rainfall and evaporation stations operated by the State and Territory water agencies and the Bureau, and provision of the catalogue on the Bureau's Internet site. This development was funded by a Natural Heritage Trust grant.
• Release of the Stochastic Climate Library (SCL) as part of the Catchment Modelling Toolkit being developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology (CRCCH). The SCL is a library of stochastic data generation techniques for stream flow and climate variables and was developed by the Bureau as part of the CRCCH's Climate Variability program (Figure 32).
• Contribution to the establishment of the Australian Water Data Infrastructure Project (AWDIP) under the national component of the Natural Heritage Trust funding program, as a result of efforts by the Bureau to progress water resources assessment issues raised by the National Land and Water Audit. The broad objectives of the AWDIP are to improve the quality of and access to water resources information and data.
• Contribution to a wide range of activities associated with the operation of the Natural Resource Management and Primary Industries Ministerial Councils, primarily through the provision of advice and expertise on climate and water resources assessment. Over the past twelve months this input has focussed on the water resources related aspects of drought and climate change.

Figure 32. The Bureau input to the CRC for Catchment Hydrology includes the development of a Stochastic Climate Library (SCL). The SCL is a library of stochastic models for generating climate data for input into hydrological and ecological models to quantify uncertainty in environmental systems associated with climate variability.

Contribution towards outcome

• The development and enhancement of systems such as AWDIP and WRSC will increase awareness of the availability of a wide range of water resources data and information which can be used to add value to an array of infrastructure, social and economic development projects, particularly those related to natural resource management.
• Involvement by the Bureau in the CRC for Catchment Hydrology Climate Variability program has resulted in the development of a range of tools that allow better understanding of, and planning for, the risks to natural resource and infrastructure projects arising from climate variability.
• The higher quality rainfall data available as a result of the continuing improvements in both the equipment and management processes used in the Bureau's rainfall networks will result in reduced uncertainty in project design and more efficient design outcomes.
• Exchange of Australian experience, information and data on hydrology and water resources within UN frameworks (such as the International Hydrological Programme Regional Steering Committee (RSC) and the WMO Commission for Hydrology) will enhance the contribution of hydrological services to both Australian and international social and economic development projects.

FLOOD WARNING SERVICE 

The Bureau prepares and disseminates flood forecasts and warnings and information to the public in close cooperation with State, Territory and local government agencies and other stakeholders. Users of flood warning services include emergency management agencies and members of the public, particularly those in flood-prone areas. More detailed interpretation of Bureau flood warning products and information is provided directly by flood response agencies. Bureau warning products include early alerts to the possibility of flooding, site-specific forecasts of river height and the expected impact in terms of minor, moderate or major flooding in specific river basins and more generalised products issued on a regional basis.

Bureau staff carrying out routine maintenance on an ALERT (radio) rain-gauge at Kunghur (near Murwillumbah) in northern New South Wales.

Major developments 2003-04

• An increase in the number of real-time flood related information products, with all Regions now disseminating a common set of products including information at a detailed sub-regional level.
• Progress towards a nationally consistent approach for early flood warning with the implementation of the standard 'Flood Watch' product in five Regions. The impact of this product was noted in Tamworth in January where it enabled early redeployment of State Emergency Services (SES) resources to manage large crowds attending the annual Country and Western Music Festival.
• Achievement of further increases in the availability of real time rainfall and river level data particularly through increases in the transfer of data collected by external agencies through the Internet (Sydney Water and Melbourne Water). This includes involvement in formal Water Monitoring Partnerships in Victoria.
• Continuation of efforts to increase the awareness of flood risk among the public and stakeholder agencies including:
• presentations to various forums;
• seminars conducted in collaboration with the Bureau's Brisbane Severe Weather Section at eleven centres throughout Queensland in the lead up to the wet season;
• establishment of locally based group meetings at annual intervals in various locations in Victoria;
• a workshop for Keswick Creek in South Australia involving more than 60 people comprising representatives from Emergency Services, local government and Catchment Boards; and
• several workshops organised by Emergency Services or local government agencies within their awareness programs.
• Strengthening of working arrangements with other key stakeholder agencies through development of:
• a partnership agreement with the Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment (DIPE) for the Top End of the Northern Territory including in particular the provision of Internet access to the Bureau Australian Integrated Forecast System (AIFS) flood forecasting modelling system; and
• a Memorandum of Understanding with Melbourne Water covering in particular the provision of Flash Flood Warnings for some selected streams in the greater Melbourne Metropolitan area.

Contribution towards outcome

• The increase in the number of real-time information products is aimed at improving the effectiveness of services by enabling clients to more closely monitor developing flood situations and more directly relate flood warnings to their individual situation.
• The increased use of the Internet for data transfers and display improved efficiency by reducing delays in data transfer and the cost of product dissemination.
• The continuing interactions with stakeholders through the FWCC, participation in conferences, partnerships and the like, helped ensure that services were closely tailored to client needs, that flood awareness was sustained to assist in achieving the best response to warnings and interagency relationships were maintained to support the achievement of high levels of effective cooperation.
• Efforts to improve computing, telecommunication and technical forecasting systems, contributed to the desired outcome by improving the reliability, accuracy and timeliness of forecast products.

HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL ADVICE 

Hydrometeorological Advice contributes to enhancing community safety and well-being through the provision of specialised hydrometeorological advice and products to the scientific and engineering communities for the safe design of a wide range of hydrological and other civil infrastructure.

Hydrometeorological advice and products include estimates of Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) and design Intensity-Frequency-Duration (IFD) rainfall information, and a range of other statistical rainfall analyses, provided on an incremental cost-recovery basis.

Major developments 2003-04

• The release of a guide to using the Generalised Tropical Storm Method (GTSM) for the estimation of PMP on CD (Figure 33). It includes a comprehensive manual and data sufficient to enable civil engineers to perform the estimation without recourse to the Bureau.
• Implementation of a web version of the Generalised Short Duration Method (GSDM) of PMP estimation, replacing the previous hard-copy version. This new form of publication is much more amenable to the incorporation and communication of amendments and revisions that are necessary from time to time.
• Upgrade of earlier PMP studies to take into account revised moisture estimates across Australia.
• Progress in upgrading the quality of rainfall design information. The latest accepted techniques and the additional years of data now available have been used to re-develop rainfall IFD statistics for a pilot study area in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.
• Provision of a large variety of services, products and general assistance to professional engineers and the general public.

Contribution towards outcome

• The provision of PMP methodologies and guides in CD and web formats has been in response to user demand and has given clients improved capacity to independently undertake PMP estimation as well as simplifying the application of the methods.
• PMP estimation is one of the principal inputs to dam safety assessment and design and the ongoing upgrade of PMP estimates with new information, such as improved dewpoint (atmospheric moisture) information, helps dam owners assess the safety of their structures using the latest and best information available.
• The pilot IFD study was undertaken in response to a direct request from Engineers Australia, as the representative of the wide range of engineering and other groups concerned, to ensure that hydrological and hydraulic designs are based on the best information available in both the Bureau national climate data bank and the archives of other agencies, and recent advances in statistical procedures.

Figure 33. An instructional guide book and supporting information was released in early 2004 on CD to enable estimation of Probable Maximum Precipitation using the revised Generalised Tropical Storm Method.