Ex-Bureau of Meteorology chief Andrew Johnson appointed to top Qld port position

The former Bureau of Meteorology boss in charge during the bungled $96m website upgrades now works in a government job getting paid more than $800,000 a year.

Andrew Johnson at a federal Budet Estimates committee hearing in Canberra in 2024. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The former Bureau of Meteorology boss in charge during the bungled $96m website upgrades now works in a government job getting paid more than $800,000 a year.

Dr Andrew Johnson headed the bureau for nine years before finishing in September to take up the role of chief executive of Gladstone Ports Corporation.

The widely criticised overhaul of the weather website went live as severe storms hammered South East Queensland, prompting Premier David Crisafulli to accuse the bureau of putting lives at risk.

Dr Johnson is now believed to be getting paid more than the Prime Minister, and the state government has backed him in as the best man for the job.

The GPC position had been filled by acting chief executives after the resignation of its former chief Craig Haymes, who was paid $839,000 a year.

Dr Johnson’s appointment, which is answerable to Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg and Finance Minister Ros Bates, was announced in July.

The new BoM site has been widely panned. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Announcing Dr Johnson’s appointment, corporation chair Maree Adshead said he had “a strong reputation for delivering impact and value across a range of sectors”.

“This appointment is fundamental to the board’s focus on strengthening GPC’s core business, ensuring long-term stability and delivering results,” she said.

“Andrew brings extensive experience leading large, multi-asset, multi-jurisdictional, complex operations.

“Andrew is the right person for the job and we are so pleased to welcome him to Gladstone.”

Greens senator Barbara Pocock, who has been leading the attack on the bureau in federal parliament, said the website redesign was a “flop”.

“(Anyone involved with) significant failures, like the $96m BoM website flop, needs to think very carefully about what went wrong and how they’ll make decisions in future,” Ms Pocock said.

She said the project was “a case study of how not to do something really important”.

“This project has been a nightmare case study in contract failure, in management of contracts, failure of leadership and completely unacceptable by the big consultants who have been at the trough through the BoM,” she said.

There is no suggestion that Dr Johnson was personally responsible for the failure of the BoM website.

A Gladstone Ports Corporation spokeswoman said Dr Johnson completed a “rigorous and extensive CEO recruitment process” in June before being appointed the following month.

“This process included external probity advisers and was well in advance of the Bureau of Meteorology’s October project (new website) rollout,” she said.

“Andrew brings extensive senior leadership experience from a number of large national organisations, has led critical and effective organisational change and consistently delivered successful business-driven outcomes.

Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelburg. Picture: Supplied

“We continue to remain confident that Andrew is the right person for the job and support his appointment via the unanimous decision of the board.”

Mr Mickelberg also backed Dr Johnson’s appointment, which he said came “well in advance” of the new website rollout.

“I have confidence in the new GPC board in backing the right leader for the organisation,” Mr Mickelberg said.

Announcing Dr Johnson’s departure earlier this year, then-environment minister Tanya Plibersek said the bureau was considered “one of the world’s most respected meteorological agencies” thanks to his leadership.

“During Dr Johnson’s tenure, the bureau has delivered new and upgraded fire, flood, bushfire, heatwave, cyclone, marine, climate and space weather services; expanded the fleet of weather radars, automatic weather stations and flood warning infrastructure; and made the bureau’s technology capabilities secure, stable and resilient,” she said.

Originally published as Ex-Bureau of Meteorology chief Andrew Johnson appointed to top Qld port position