13th Sep 2018, 12:34 PM – Senate Motions - Bureau of Meteorology - Stop centralisation

The majority voted in favour of a motion "to ensure the Bureau of Meteorology abandons its plans to centralise forecasting services, and maintain the current levels of jobs, expertise and forecasting services in regional areas". Motions like these don't have any legal force but are politically influential as they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) that the Bureau of Meteorology intends to replace regional weather forecasting teams with a more centralised and automated model operating out of Melbourne and Brisbane,

(ii) that with a changing climate and more frequent extreme weather events, Australian regions need accurate localised weather forecasting services now more than ever before,

(iii) that this loss of localised weather forecasting and expertise will affect and concern many sectors, including emergency services, agriculture, fisheries and shipping,

(iv) for Tasmania, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has estimated this move will affect 15 to 20 specialist weather forecasting jobs,

(v) that Tasmania's local weather forecasters have provided critical local knowledge to Tasmanian residents, businesses and emergency services during extreme weather events, such as the Hobart floods and Dunalley bushfires,

(vi) the United Firefighters Union Tasmania has stated it is "absolutely crucial to have local knowledge" during reduction burns and high fire danger periods, and

(vii) the CPSU Tasmanian union, which represents parks and forestry firefighters and the State Emergency Service, has stated it is "stupid and short-sighted" to separate forecasters from crews on the ground; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to ensure the Bureau of Meteorology abandons its plans to centralise forecasting services, and maintain the current levels of jobs, expertise and forecasting services in regional areas.