• Continuously monitoring the weather and climate of the Australian region;
• Providing meteorological and related forecasts and warnings to weather- and climate-sensitive sectors of the community;
• Collecting and safeguarding reliable long-term data on the climate of Australia and surrounding regions, including the Australian Antarctic Territory;
• Carrying out research to improve our services and increase our understanding of the global atmosphere and oceans, in the long-term interests of the community; and
• Cooperating in all aspects of meteorology and related sciences with the other 180 Member countries of the World Meteorological Organization, for the benefit of the Australian and international community.

• Specialist training of our staff to internationally recognised standards;
• Major Regional Offices in each State capital and Darwin, and smaller Field Meteorological Offices at other locations throughout Australia and its Territories;
• Advanced technology for collection and communication of data around Australia and between Australia and other countries; and
• Powerful computing facilities for data processing and running computer prediction models of the atmosphere and ocean.

• Warnings of dangerous weather such as severe thunderstorms and tropical cyclones, and weather conditions leading to floods or bush fires;
• Weather forecasts for the land areas and for the coasts and oceans around Australia;
• Seasonal outlooks of Australia's climate;
• Data and information services on the weather and climate of Australia and surrounding areas;
• Scientific advisory and consultancy services in meteorology, hydrology and oceanography; and
• Warning of potential tsunami in conjunction with Geoscience Australia.

• The Internet - the Bureau has an extensive World Wide Web site at http://www.bom.gov.au/
• Weather segments on radio and TV and in the print media;
• Our staff at the Bureau's Regional and Field Meteorological Offices listed below;
• Telephone Weather Services 24-hour telephone weather services - call 1900 926 113 for a directory;
• Marine radio and radio fax broadcasts - see our Web site at http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/
• A number of other electronic access and delivery systems - call one of our major offices for more information.

• Treat you with respect and courtesy, maintaining confidentiality where required;
• Identify ourselves when we speak to you;
• Be clear and helpful in our dealings with you, giving reasons for our decisions;
• Act with care and diligence as we prepare a response, behaving honestly and with integrity in accordance with the APS Code of Conduct
• Refer enquiries we cannot answer to an appropriate source;
• Present our information, including forecasts and warnings, clearly, using plain English, understandable graphics, or other means relevant to your needs, being sensitive to the diversity of the Australian public;
• Ensure that our recorded telephone, fax and Web services are kept up-to-date with the latest information and products;
• Ensure that our recorded telephone and fax services use concise wording and compact graphics;
• Ensure that our Web site is easy to use and well set out; and
• Ensure that all our services have a sound scientific basis.

• Deal with your enquiries and complaints quickly and effectively;
• Answer your phone calls promptly, and ensure that unattended phones in operational service areas are re-directed or provided with an answering service; and
• Reply to your letters, faxes and e-mails within two weeks - on more complex issues, our initial reply will give you an estimate of the time a full response will take, and the cost, if any.

• For emergency concerns about forecasts and warnings, and aviation briefing, 24 hours a day at our major offices; and
• For other enquiries, from 9am to 4pm (minimum) Monday to Friday at our major offices, and as often as possible at our smaller offices, where staff have a range of duties including operating and maintaining complex meteorological equipment to precise time schedules.

• Ensure that the accuracy and quality of our services remain world-class by incorporating relevant advances in science and technology into our ongoing operations;
• Further improve procedures for monitoring the accuracy of our forecasts and warnings and reporting the results;
• Upgrade the ways in which we deliver our services, in line with improvements in technology and the changing needs of the community;
• Make access to our services easier and more convenient, particularly for people with special needs; and
• Develop a more streamlined system of handling your enquiries and feedback on our services.

• Publish information showing the accuracy of our forecasts and warnings;
• Provide explanations when our services do not meet acceptable standards of quality, timeliness or accuracy; and
• Monitor our performance against the standards set in this Charter, and publish the results in our Annual Report and other publications, which are available on request from the Bureau Head Office and Regional Offices. Performance information will also be provided on our Web site.

• Advise us of your needs; and
• Tell us about the difficulties you are experiencing, understanding that at crucial times such as during dangerous weather, our staff, services and systems may be under great pressure.

Bureau Offices

This list includes only those offices which provide services direct to the community.
For information on remote or specialised offices, please call the appropriate Regional Office.
Some services provided by these offices may be subject to user charging.