Bureau of Meteorology Annual Report 2004-05

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The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is a world-class national meteorological agency providing expertise and services to assist Australians in dealing with the harsh realities of our natural environment, including drought, floods, fires, storms and tropical cyclones. Through regular forecasts, warnings, monitoring and advice spanning the Australian and Antarctic region, the Bureau provides one of the most basic and widely used services of government.

The Bureau is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government and contributes to national social, economic, cultural and environmental goals by providing critical weather, climate, hydrological and oceanographic services and by undertaking research into science and environment-related issues in support of its operations and services.

Around 1420 people are employed with the Bureau of Meteorology in some 60 offices across Australia, its offshore Islands and Antarctica, providing surveillance, forecasts and warning services 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Regular meteorological observations are recorded by a network of surface and space-based observing systems ranging from thousands of volunteer rainfall observers throughout Australia to highly sophisticated meteorological satellites operated as part of a cooperative integrated global system. These observations provide the basis on which all meteorological services and long-term climate monitoring depend.

A range of meteorological and related observations, information, forecasts, warnings and educative material is available online to enable the community to monitor current weather conditions, plan future activities and learn about the weather, making the Bureau website one of the most visited government websites in Australia.

As of 1 July 2002, the Bureau of Meteorology was established as an Executive Agency under the Public Service Act 1999 and became a Prescribed Agency under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 on 12 September 2002. Under the Public Service Act 1999, the Director of Meteorology has the powers and responsibilities of an agency head, reporting to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage (Figure 1). The Bureau of Meteorology Advisory Board advises the Parliamentary Secretary and the Director of Meteorology on the proper discharge of the functions of the Bureau.

The Bureau of Meteorology operates under the authority of the Meteorology Act 1955, which provides the legal basis for its activities. This is complemented by the ongoing assessment of the national need for climatic records, scientific understanding of Australian weather and climate and effective service provision to the Australian community. The Bureau of Meteorology must also fulfil Australia's international obligations under the Convention of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and related international meteorological treaties and agreements.

Figure 1. The Bureau of Meteorology, as an Executive Agency (and statutory body) in the Environment and Heritage Portfolio, reports to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage.

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