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Annual Report
1999-2000

© Commonwealth of Australia 2000

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as premitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Commonwealth available from AusInfo. Requests and enquiries should be directed to the Manager, Legislative Services, AusInfo, GPO Box 1920, Canberra ACT 2401.

ISSN 1037 3608

Cover: The globally unconstrained nature of the atmosphere makes international cooperation in the collection and exchange of meteorological data essential as a basis for weather and climate forecasting in all countries. Although the global meteorological community had worked together through the non-governmental International Meteorological Organization (IMO) since 1873, it was not until 1950 that this cooperation was placed on a formal intergovernmental basis through the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which, shortly after its creation, was recognised as a Specialised Agency of the United Nations. It's symbol is the symbol of the United Nations with the addition only of the eight points of the compass to signify the origins of the winds. The 50^th anniversary of WMO and the contribution which weather and climate services make to the safety and welfare of the global community were celebrated on World Meteorological Day (23 March) 2000.

The Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP
Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for the Bureau of Meteorology
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Dr Stone

I am pleased to submit the Annual Report of the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology for the financial year ended 30 June 2000. It complements the Annual Report of the Department of the Environment and Heritage, which includes a summary of the outcome of the operation of the Bureau, along with essential information on those activities of the Bureau that flow from its status as part of the Department. This report deals with the activities of the Bureau in fulfilment of its statutory responsibilities under the Meteorology Act 1955.

The past year has seen a continuing dramatic increase in community access to Bureau services through the Internet, complementing services already available through telephone and facsimile and the basic services provided to the community at large through radio, television and the newspapers. Extensive weather support was provided for the International Force-East Timor (INTERFET) and the preparations for the provision of specialised weather support for the Sydney Olympic Games went into top gear. The Bureau's seasonal climate outlooks, which are of special importance for the rural community, were enhanced through the introduction of information on the probability of above and below normal temperatures, in addition to seasonal rainfall trends.

The fifty years of intergovernmental cooperation in meteorology under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which were celebrated on World Meteorological Day (23 March) 2000, have produced enormous benefits for Australia. The global observing facilities, research programs, technological developments and operational data and products, on which the Bureau of Meteorology is able to draw, have revolutionised Australian meteorological services over the past half century. In almost every facet of the operations of the Bureau, the benefits of international cooperation are clearly evident. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the WMO, they are highlighted in this year's report.

The primary purpose of the repeal of the original Meteorology Act of 1906 and its replacement by the Meteorology Act of 1955 was to respond to the requirements of the establishment of the WMO and to better reflect the ongoing arrangements between the Commonwealth and the States, following completion of the transfer of meteorological responsibilities from the States to the Commonwealth that had been the main focus of the original Act. The remarkable international progress in the science and practice of meteorology that has been achieved through the work of the WMO over the past fifty years has been closely mirrored in the evolving organisation and operation of the Bureau of Meteorology. The broad scope and authority of the Meteorology Act 1955 have served the Australian community well by enabling the Bureau to respond flexibly to changing needs and opportunities and implement an efficient integrated model of operation which has been strongly endorsed by recent external reviews of the Bureau and has facilitated its development into one of the most cost-effective National Meteorological Services in the world. This report provides a summary assessment of progress with the detailed follow up to the various external reviews of the past five years.

On the more immediate time scale of the past year, the body of this report details the recent achievements of the Bureau both in terms of its overall level of performance and the extent towhich it has been able to meet the quality, quantity and price targets set for its various outputs a year ago. While, by most of the most meaningful indicators, the Bureau performed well over the past year and it continued to enjoy a very high satisfaction rating from the community at large, a great deal of effort has had to be diverted away from ongoing operations into meeting a range of formal administrative planning and reporting requirements associated with the Year 2000 transition, GST implementation, the Government's IT outsourcing initiative, and the greatly increased complexity of the accrual budgeting and accounting framework. This has placed many scientific and administrative staff and many aspects of the Bureau's operations and services under considerable stress over the past year.

On the other hand, the increased provision for asset replacement through the depreciation expense funding in the 1999-2000 appropriations has enabled us to begin to give effect to one of the primary thrusts of the 1996 and 1997 external reviews of the Bureau by placing its strategic infrastructure maintenance and renewal on a more secure basis. Maintenance of the essential ongoing public interest functions and services of the Bureau in line with community expectations will now depend, inter alia, on a successful outcome from the current Output Pricing Review and the achievement of a more stable administrative environment than has been possible during the recent period of protracted review and reassessment.

As we draw to the close of a century of outstanding progress in international meteorological science and service, I feel bound, also, to offer some observations on the limitations of the science. One unforeseen by-product of the scientific achievements that have enabled us to progress from a world where the community expected weather forecasts to be wrong to one where they expect them to be right, has been the emergence of an expectation that they should always be right and that they should be able to be accurate in every detail. While, over time, the volume and quality of the input data, the sophistication and power of the prediction models and the professional training and skill of the forecasters all contribute to more accurate forecasting, the inherently chaotic nature of the atmosphere means that, occasionally, even the most scientifically soundly based and professionally prepared forecasts will go wrong. And, while all the staff of the Bureau will strive to ensure that the quality and utility of its services to the community continue to improve in line with the science, capabilities and resources available to us, every weather and climate forecast issued by the Bureau must ultimately be viewed as no more than a probability statement, usually prepared against tight deadlines and on the basis of limited data, about the inherently unknowable future state of the atmosphere.

In reporting to you, and through you to the Minister and the Parliament, on the discharge of my responsibilities under the Meteorology Act during 1999-2000, I wish firstly to place on record my appreciation for your strong personal support for the staff and work of the Bureau since you assumed responsibility, on behalf of the Minister, on 25 May; and secondly to commend, for your appreciation, the efforts and achievements of the many present and recently retired staff of the Bureau whose dedication and professionalism have enabled us collectively to serve the community so well, in such rapidly changing and challenging times, over the past year.

Yours sincerely

(J W ZILLMAN)
DIRECTOR OF METEOROLOGY
2 October 2000

CONTENTS

Letter of transmittal

Contents

Introduction
· The Bureau of Meteorology
· Charter
· Goals and Objectives
· Outputs
· Organisation
· Operation
· Planning and Evaluation
· Corporate Strategy 1999-2004
· Budget and Program 1999-2000
· Structure of this Report

Overview
· Highlights
· Management and Organisation
· Corporate Achievements
· Resource Use

Meteorological and Related Data and Products
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Observational Data
· Processed Data and Products

Meteorological and Related Research
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Pure Research
· Strategic Research
· Applied Research
· Crosscutting Activities

Weather Services
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Severe Weather Warning Services
· Public Weather Services
· Marine Services
· Aviation Weather Services
· Defence Weather Services
· Special Weather Services

Climate Services
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Archived Data
· Climate Data Service
· Climate Monitoring Service

Consultative Services
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Meteorological Advice
· Special Investigations

Hydrological Services
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Water Resources Assessment
· Flood Warning Service
· Hydrometeorological Advice

International Meteorological Activities
· Resource Use
· Performance
· WMO Contribution
· Multilateral Activities
· Bilateral Activities

Crosscutting and Corporate Activities
· Resource Use
· Performance
· Supporting Research and Development
· Public Education
· Training
· Executive Management
· Management Services

Appendix 1        Meteorology Act 1955
Appendix 2        Charter of the Bureau of Meteorology
Appendix 3        Goals and Objectives of the Bureau of Meteorology
Appendix 4        Major Outputs of the Bureau of Meteorology
Appendix 5        Senior Staff
Appendix 6        Bureau of Meteorology Corporate Strategy 1999-2004
Appendix 7        The Weather of 1999-2000
Appendix 8        Major Events 1999-2000
Appendix 9        Staff Summary 1999-2000
Appendix 10      Corporate Overheads
Appendix 11      Publications 1999-2000
Appendix 12      Addresses and Contact Numbers
Appendix 13      Compliance with the Requirements for Departmental Annual Reports
Appendix 14      Glossary of Acronyms

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