Purpose of this document
1. This document outlines the basis on which general access to information held by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology ("the Bureau") is provided to users of such information outside the Bureau. The document will be current for two years from the date of issue. In the event that other arrangements are determined to operate after that date three calendar months notice will be provided by way of appropriate announcement in the print media.
(note: from 17 May 1999 this regime will continue to apply).
2. This access regime should be read subject to the Meteorology Act 1955 ("the Act") and to any other applicable Commonwealth law including the Trade Practices Act 1974.
Nature and role of the Bureau
3. The Bureau is established under the Act which specifies the functions of the Bureau.
These include:
- the forecasting of weather and the state of the atmosphere;
- the issue of warnings of gales, storms and other weather conditions likely to endanger life or property;
- the supply of and promotion of the use of meteorological information; and
- co-operation with the authority administering the Meteorological Service of any other country.
4. It is the responsibility of the Bureau under the Act to provide the basic national meteorological infrastructure for Australia. This is needed to collect and process the information required to meet the needs of future generations by the creation and maintenance of a climate record. It is also the Bureau's responsibility to fulfil Australia's international obligations under a number of Conventions relating to World Meteorology and to provide meteorological services to the community.
5. The Bureau is required to provide its services in the public interest and the Director of Meteorology has such powers as are necessary to enable the Bureau to perform its functions.
Nature of the information held by the Bureau and its approach to providing access to information
6. The Bureau's records have been compiled over many years and are an valuable historical and climate record belonging to the nation. There are a number of important considerations to which the Bureau must have regard in providing access to its information. The information is held in computer data bases and in hard copy and whether information can be provided in the precise form in which it is sought will depend on the circumstances. For example, on occasions the information has not been collected and retained in a form which allows ready access by the community. Further the Bureau collects information from a wide variety of sources and in some instances has no property in respect of that information; it should not in allowing access infringe the intellectual property rights of others. The Bureau should not endanger the record by allowing access to computer systems which are not secure (in the sense that the record may be altered by the other party).
Access Arrangements and Policy
7. The Bureau's arrangements for providing access to its information are as follows.
(a) Co-operation with National Meteorological Services of other countries
- (i) Arrangements
- The Bureau makes information available to the National Meteorological Services of other countries in accordance with the Convention of the World Meteorological Organization signed on behalf of Australia on 11 October 1947 ("the Convention"), agreements, understandings and custom. Provision of data is made via the Global Telecommunications System and by other means.
- (ii) Policy Basis
- These arrangements are part of an international system which is based upon co-operation between countries and the free exchange of weather information. Substantial benefits flow to Australia through the increase in the information to the Bureau. In addition there are savings in not having to purchase information that is essential to the provision of meteorological services in Australia and would otherwise be very expensive to procure from other countries, for example, the purchase of information obtained from meteorological satellites.
(b) Provision of weather information to the community
- (i) Arrangements
- The Bureau makes information available to the community through a national meteorological service. This service, known as the "the Basic Service", includes weather, climate, hydrological and advisory services and is made available free of charge in the public interest. Where appropriate charges are made for the cost of connection and transmission of information to the recipient.
- Further details of the Basic Service are set out in Appendix 1. These elements of the Basic Service may be altered from time to time to take account, for example, of changing technologies, community needs, costs and other factors relevant to the performance by the Bureau of its functions under the Act and in the public interest. The Bureau will provide three calendar months notice of any intention to vary the Basic Service, unless the Director of Meteorology determines that a shorter period or no period of notice should apply for reasons related to public safety or the protection of property. In such cases, the Bureau will provide advice of the change and the reasons therefor.
- (ii) Policy Basis
- The Basic Service is provided in discharge of the Bureau's responsibilities under the Act to provide meteorological information to the community at public expense. The Bureau provides weather services to the community in the public interest in a wide range or areas, within the extent of its resources.
(c) Provision of specialised weather services
- (i) Arrangements
- The Bureau is prepared to provide user-specific services additional to the Basic Service to members of the community by arrangement. Charges will be determined by the Bureau on a commercial or other appropriate basis.
- (ii) Policy Basis
- Where services fall outside the Basic Service, it is in the interests of the taxpayer that charges be made. It is also often the case that unless a charge is made the service cannot be provided as the Bureau lacks the necessary resources to provide the service.
(d) Provision of services to civil aviation and the Defence Forces
- (i) Arrangements
- The Bureau provides weather services to the aviation industry and to the Defence Forces and charges are made for these services on an incremental basis. Incremental charges are calculated to reflect the cost of the provision of the service additional to that of the Basic Service.
- (ii) Policy Basis
- These services are provided by the Bureau in discharge of its responsibilities under the Act which provides that the Bureau shall perform its functions "in the public interest generally and in particular for the purposes of the Defence Forces and ...civil aviation".
Access Agreements
8. Before a person is provided with access to Bureau information, the person will be asked to enter into an Access Agreement. The Access Agreement shall contain terms which are no less favourable to members of the community than the document which appears at Access Agreement.
How to access the Bureau's information
9. Where members of the community wish to access information held by the Bureau the Regional Director in each State and Territory should be contacted. This officer will assist members of the community to identify information held that is relevant to their need and suggest how this information may be best accessed.
| Relevant details are as follows | ||
|---|---|---|
| Telephone | Fax | |
| NSW | 02 9296 1555 | 02 9296 1611 |
| VIC | 03 9669 4900 | 03 9663 2059 |
| QLD | 07 3239 8751 | 07 3239 8776 |
| SA | 08 8366 2600 | 08 8366 2683 |
| WA | 08 9263 2222 | 08 9263 2261 |
| TAS | 03 6221 2000 | 03 6221 2015 |
| NT | 08 8920 3800 | 08 8920 3802 |
A person wishing to access information shall provide the Bureau with a general statement of the purpose for which the information is to be used. The Bureau may in some cases request further details of the purpose or of the use. The Bureau will consider any confidentiality concerns that the person may have and take these into account having regard to the public interest role of the Bureau.
If the Bureau declines or is unable to provide access to information, or if information ceases to be available, a person affected may apply to the Bureau for an explanation and the Bureau will provide written reasons.
Bureau data on the World Wide Web ("WWW")
10. The Bureau has, and will continue to, use available means electronic or otherwise, as they develop, to disseminate information. For instance it has placed an extensive amount of information on the WWW and is in the process of increasing the amount of information available. The address on the WWW is www.bom.gov.au.
Dispute Resolution
11. The Bureau endeavours to resolve disputes at all times. If a member of the community is dissatisfied with any access arrangements made the Director of Meteorology or the Minister responsible for the Bureau may be contacted.
In the event that a dispute cannot be resolved within twenty one (21) days of the person giving written notice of the dispute to the Bureau, the matter may be referred to mediation. The mediator shall be appointed by the parties or by the President of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre. The costs of the mediation must be borne by both parties.
The future
12. The Bureau is involved in a major initiative to improve the technology whereby its data may be accessed by external users. (This is known as "the AMDISS Project"). This project may be accompanied by changes whereby external users may more readily access data, but where the Bureau may also provide new products some of which may be provided at commercial rates.
13. This process will see more and more information being placed on the WWW and less direct computer links to Bureau information being necessary.
14. The access policies of the Bureau are subject to change from time to time. Wherever possible, the Bureau will give reasonable notice of changes in policy.
APPENDIX 1
As at 17 May 1997 the Bureau's Basic Service consists of the following:
A. Basic Weather Service
(a) forecasts, warnings and information provided to the Australian public through the Media. ( "Media" means free to air television stations, radio stations and newspapers.)
In particular, the services are:
(ii) forecasts, on a State and Territory, district, capital and major provincial city basis, of basic weather conditions (precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind and cloud cover);
(iii) forecasts of wind and sea state for oceans and coastal waters and for some bays, harbours and inland waters;
(iv) forecasts for cane-firing, haymaking, grape harvesting and forest litter control burnings and of air pollution potential and UV radiation index;
(v) current weather information issued on a routine basis either in hard copy or digital form, for example, standard bulletins of observations, analysis and forecast charts, single satellite images or animated sequences of satellite imagery (subject to the conditions set by international Satellite Operations), radar data, and telemetered temperature data (that is, temperature information available at any time on a leased line from Telstra), all of which is available on demand with appropriate receiving equipment; and
(vi) Assistance to the media to enable the above services to be accurately and appropriately presented to the Australian public.
(b) Operational warnings, forecasts and information provided to State Emergency Services, fire authorities and Police Forces in relation to their emergency services to the Australian public.
B. Basic Climate Service
This consists of:
(i) provision of access to original records, books, charts, etc.
(ii) a standard array of climatological publications, pamphlets and brochures (made available at the cost of publication) including:
(bb) Rainfall Statistics of Australia
(cc) Temperature and Humidity Data for use in building and other industries
(dd) 30 Year Climate Normals of Australia
(ee) Climate Surveys (in conjunction with regional offices)
(ff) Catalogue of Climate Data
(gg) Catalogue of Standard Data analysis and output formats
(hh) Brochure providing information on climate data services
(ii) Microfiche catalogue
(jj) Various educational pamphlets
(iii) provision of climatological advice of a brief nature which does not require research or investigation;
(iv) periodic issue of climate monitoring statements (for example, monthly statement on drought, Seasonal Outlook Statement);
(v) contributions to publications issues by other Commonwealth agencies in joint fulfilment of a shared mission for example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Year Book;
(vi) basic climate data via the Global Telecommunications System to other National Meteorological Services and World Meteorological Organisation agencies in accordance with the International Convention of Free and Unrestricted Exchange between Nations;
(vii) basic consultative services which may not be provided directly to the public through Bureau offices but through other Government agencies for example,
(bb) advice to the Standards Association of Australia, for example, advice regarding the wind loading code.
(cc) advice on behalf of the National Government to international agencies involved in matters such as urbanisation and human health.
(dd) advice to State and Local Government agencies on meteorological aspects of public health and safety where there is clearly a joint responsibility involved for example, community preparedness in tropical cyclone prone regions.
C. Basic Hydrological Service
(i) water resources assessment (in support of national requirements for rainfall and evaporation data related to the development and management of Australia's surface water resources);
(ii) flood warning services;
(iii) hydro-meteorological advisory services (in support of broad national requirements for information relevant to land use planning and management, bridge, dam and hydraulic structure design). The main components of this basic service are:
(bb) development of standard techniques and methodology for probable maximum precipitation studies.
(cc) development of design statistics on short period rainfall intensities (relevant to soil erosion, freeway design etc.).
(dd) development of techniques and methodology for consistency and realistic estimates of probable maximum precipitation.
Sample Current Access Agreement