The Bureau of Meteorology and water information

Transforming Australia's water resources information

To secure the long term water supply of all Australians, the Australian Government has announced Water for the Future, a $12.9 billion water investment program. This includes $450 million for the 'Improving Water Information Program' administered by the Bureau of Meteorology and backed by the Commonwealth Water Act 2007 and key stakeholders.

The Bureau will enhance the quality and utility of Australia's water information by producing the National Water Account, supported by a truly national water monitoring and data collection network. The program includes development and maintenance of an integrated, national water information system freely accessible to the public.

Our responsibilities under the Water Act 2007

• Issuing national water information standards
• Collecting and publishing water information
• Conducting regular national water resources assessments
• Publishing an annual National Water Account
• Providing regular water availability forecasts
• Giving advice on matters relating to water information
• Enhancing understanding of Australia's water resources
  

A major investment in water information across three areas

The Bureau will implement its new water information functions, along with its existing flood warning and forecasting services, through a new Water Division. The Division will have three programs:

• Water Data Management Services
• Water Data Analysis and Reporting Services
• Water Prediction Services

Delivering water information to users

The Bureau will employ an additional 120 people around Australia to deliver these services, many of whom will be based in Melbourne and Canberra. Its investment in data storage, web serving and computational capabilities will enable analysis and interpretation of national water information and the provision of forecasting services across a variety of time and space scales.

Over the next five years the Bureau will invest $80 million to help water data collecting agencies upgrade and expand their streamflow, groundwater monitoring and water storage measurement networks. Proposed investment priorities include improving data quality and currency, technology to simplify data transmission to the Bureau and filling critical gaps in monitoring networks.

Over the next 10 years the Bureau will invest $160 million developing tools, acquiring commercial data sets and co-investing in water information research and development.

A national collaboration

The development of a national system for water information storage, analysis and reporting requires an unprecedented level of collaboration between stakeholders.

The Bureau is working closely with water data owners to coordinate and implement these arrangements.

The Bureau has established formal advisory, reference and expert panels to ensure a broad suite of industry and government experience involved in the development and expansion of the national water information capacity.