AN independent review of the Bureau of Meteorology has been commissioned to inform the weather forecasting agency’s future organisational strategy and ensure it delivers value to Australians.
The review was commissioned by Bureau of Meteorology chief executive officer Dr Stuart Minchin and aims to inform the bureau’s next strategic plan, due to come into effect in the second half of 2027.
A media statement from Dr Minchin and Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt said the review will examine how the organisation can best meet the future needs of Australians, industry and community stakeholders, while maintaining the trust and confidence that underpin its role as the nation’s trusted source of weather, water, climate and environmental intelligence.
The review has been commissioned in consultation with Mr Watt and the Department of Climate Change, Energy Environment and Water.
It will be led by former chief executive of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority Phillip Glyde, supported by panel members DCCEEW deputy secretary Sean Sullivan and internationally experienced public policy advisor, Raj Nahna.
The panel will assess:
- The bureau’s service offering and its alignment with current and future community needs.
- The effectiveness of public communications and responsiveness to stakeholder needs.
- Opportunities to strengthen reputation, resilience and strategic partnerships.
- Strategic challenges and opportunities likely to influence the bureau’s value over the next decade.
- Areas of unmet customer demand and alignment with the bureau’s legislative mandate.
The review panel is expected to report back by 31 March 2027.
Maintaining trust is essential – Watt
Mr Watt said the work BOM staff do every day is complex and they face a range of pressures, so this review will bring an independent perspective to understanding the services being delivered and how that value can be strengthened into the future.”
“BOM’s role in keeping Australia safe, informed and prepared in a changing climate has never been more vital.
“Maintaining trust in, and ensuring the effectiveness of, BOM’s information and services is essential,” he said.
“Many Australians rely on BOM to make decisions on-farm, at work and in severe weather, and I know we’re all committed to ensuring that future services meet people’s needs and expectations.”
Review to ensure bureau meets future customer demands
Dr Minchin said the development of BOM’s next strategy is a significant opportunity to take a fresh look at what matters most to the Australian community and to ensure we are well positioned to meet future challenges and opportunities.
“We deeply value the trust that the Australian public and our customers place in us.
“Our work underpins essential services, economic activity, environmental health and community wellbeing, for all Australians every day, so it’s important we get it right,” he said.
“This review will help the Bureau of Meteorology better understand current and future customer needs and ensure our strategy and services are squarely focussed on the things that are important to the Australian community, our customers and partners.
“The review is firmly focused on the future,” he said.
“It is about ensuring the bureau remains a trusted, modern and responsive organisation that continues to meet the needs and expectations of a changing world.”
The terms of reference of the review include:
- service offering and alignment with the current and future needs of the Australian public and government policy objectives
- public communication effectiveness and responsiveness to stakeholder needs
- reputational management and resilience strategies, and opportunities to develop partnerships to support these strategies
- the current and future competitive landscape for the services provided by the bureau and the strategic challenges and opportunities likely to shape the bureau’s value over the next decade
- unmet customer demand and alignment with the bureau’s legislative mandate.
The review will be conducted by an independent panel comprising strategic expertise in policy development, communications, government service delivery and organisational effectiveness.
Panel members will consult key customer groups, stakeholders and bureau staff through surveys and confidential interviews. The review will also consider key data and documents, including strategic planning documents, governance papers, recent business reforms and results of staff surveys.
The independent review panel will provide a final report by 31 March 2027 and should make recommendations that can be used to inform the development of the bureau’s next strategy and outline performance measures that could be used to track and communicate the bureau’s value.
The independent review panel will also provide briefings to the BOM chief executive officer and the Minister for the Environment and Water, with the support of an externally appointed review support team procured by the bureau, and secretariat assistance from the bureau and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
For more information about the review click here.
Lets hope out the end of this inquiry BOM makes an effort to forecast for at least five or six days ahead, with numbers on expected rainfall. I was satisfied with their efforts prior to the big spend, but now I can’t find any of their forecasting that will measure up to what they had been achieving.