Transcript – Water For The Future
Narrator: For more than 100 years, the Bureau of Meteorology has provided Australia with weather forecasting and climate analysis services. Now we’re establishing ourselves as the national water information authority. This is part of an ambitious national water reform program Water for the Future, led by the Australian Government. Our new national water information function, builds upon our long standing national flood forecasting role.  It will support water policy makers, planners and managers to address the water security challenge posed by climate change and population growth.
We are building expertise and systems to answer eight vital questions. 
Dr Louise Minty: How much water is available in different parts of the country today and how does this compare with the past? 
Dr Grace Mitchell: Who is entitled to use water and how much are they using. 
Dr Luke Shelly: How much water is being allocated and how is the security of water access arrangements changing? 
Dr Grace Mitchell: How much water is being traded and where is it occurring 
Neil Plummer: How much water is being provided to the environment? 
Dr Luke Shelly: How is the quality of water in river and aquifers changing? 
Neil Plummer: How is flood risk changing in response to climatic and land use changes? 
Dr Louise Minty: And finally, how much water will be available in the future? 
To answer these questions, we have begun collecting water information from more than 240 data providers across Australia. We are supporting them through a five year, 80 million dollar program to modernise and extend water monitoring systems. In partnership with our research partners CSIRO, we are developing cutting edge systems for handling and analysing water data and modelling important hydrologic processes. Soon all Australians will have free access to online water reporting services, seasonal stream-flow forecasts, an annual national water account and improved flood warning information. 
Please visit our website to find out more about the Bureau’s water information, products and services.