Bureau of Meteorology chief moves to allay concerns of job and service cuts in South Australia

THE Bureau of Meteorology chief has moved to allay concerns of job and service cuts in South Australia as part of a broad restructure that critics fear could compromise local forecasting.

• Cuts to Adelaide weather bureau to be questioned

THE Bureau of Meteorology chief has moved to allay concerns of job and service cuts in South Australia as part of a broad restructure that critics fear could compromise local forecasting.

Bureau chief executive Andrew Johnson this week fronted a Senate estimates hearing, where he faced questioning about a restructure.

Dr Johnson said meteorologists at the bureau would be freed of shift work and operate more closely with emergency services under a proposal to increase automation.

It follows reports by The Advertiser that the State Government and unions were concerned about SA’s weather and bushfire warnings being made by interstate meteorologists based at national centres in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Community and Public Sector Union regional secretary Liz Temple

Dr Johnson told senators the bureau needed to change and was developing a business case to strengthen its services by using technology to automate the forecasting process.

“Our current way of working seriously compromises and constrains our ability to respond effectively,” he said.

“There is a significant and unmet demand for the bureau’s capability.”

Dr Johnson countered speculation, which he said was previously raised in Parliament, that automating services would result in job losses for local meteorologists.

“The notion that the bureau is cutting jobs, the bureau is cutting costs, the bureau is getting out of the state, they are completely false,” he said. “We will have local meteorologists in all our states and territories.”

The business case is expected to be completed next year.

Expected changes include reducing 24/7 shiftwork, which Dr Johnson said would have positive outcomes on employee health but could negatively impact incomes due to lost penalties.

Community and Public Sector Union regional secretary Liz Temple, who represents bureau workers, this month told The Advertiser that possible changes could impact on services in SA and that local knowledge of weather events would take a back seat.

But senators were told automation would remove repetitive tasks conducted by local meteorologists, who would spend more of their time “talking about the weather, the consequences of the weather, the risks and uncertainties” to help farmers and emergency services plan ahead.

Dr Johnson said the BOM had about 1800 employees across 52 locations nationwide and that the changes were about centralising functions, not people.

Originally published as Bureau of Meteorology chief moves to allay concerns of job and service cuts in South Australia