• the density, representativeness, accuracy, homogeneity, continuity and reliability of the national meteorological and related observation network are sufficient to:
  • meet essential future national and international needs for Australian climate data; and
  • provide the basis for routine nationwide weather watch and numerical prediction operations and provide a common foundation for the provision of basic and special weather services;
• the meteorological data from the observational network are transmitted to the National Meteorological and Oceanographic Operations Centre (NMOC) and Regional Forecasting Centres (RFCs) error–free and within cut–off times and meteorological information, forecasts and warnings are communicated promptly and accurately to users;
• the central and regional computer systems and computing advisory and consultative services meet the defined requirements of all Bureau programmes and contribute to overall efficiency and productivity gains; and
• equipment installations satisfy the requirements of Bureau programmes, are carried out within time and cost estimates and the performance and reliability of operational services are maximised.

• the Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre (BMRC) is recognised for the quality and extent of its contribution to national and international meteorological and related sciences;
• progress is achieved in the characterisation and understanding of the processes which determine Australian weather and climate;
• progress is achieved on applied research problems addressed to the Bureau or which arise in the course of its operations;
• cost effective new applications and services emerge from Bureau research;
• Bureau research can be shown to have contributed to improvements in the quality of its operations and services; and
• the scientific health and morale of the Bureau are enhanced.

• meteorological and related services contribute to minimising loss of life and property and community disruption from bushfires, tropical cyclones, severe storms and tsunamis; minimising economic and other costs of disaster preparedness; the safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare and economic benefit of the public and major community groups; the safety and efficiency of shipping, small craft and maritime industries; the safety, regularity and efficiency of air navigation; the efficiency and effectiveness of the Australian Defence Force; government and community planning; the management of the environment, including natural resources; and the economy and efficiency of primary and secondary industry;
• forecasts, warnings, information and advice are accurate and timely;
• user needs (including the needs of specific users of special weather services on a cost recovery basis) are identified and, within available resources, are satisfied and new services and products are developed as opportunities arise;
• the public, major user groups and specialised users receive, understand and make optimum use of the services and express satisfaction with the services;
• the data stored in the National Climate Centre (NCC) are appropriate in terms of types of parameters included; comply with relevant national and international guidelines in respect of density, frequency and length of period of observations stored; have been subject to appropriate quality control; are of acceptable quality; and are stored optimally in terms of security and accessibility;
• the NMOC provides reliable, timely analysis and forecast guidance products that impact positively on the quality of services;
• the NMOC and the RFCs provide, in combination, a sufficiently comprehensive and responsive nationwide and regional scale weather watch operation to detect and react immediately to the first evidence of developing dangerous weather and provide a foundation for the provision of routine basic and special weather services;
• a Tsunami Warning Centre is developed in collaboration with Geoscience Australia (GA) and delivers reliable and timely warnings of Tsunamis; and
• the National Tidal Centre (NTC):
  • provides reliable and timely predictions of tides at major and secondary ports; and
  • provides sea level monitoring advice for tsunami detection.

• Australia meets agreed international requirements for data exchange; the NMOC in Melbourne provides the products and services prescribed for a World Meteorological Centre, two Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) and a Joint WMO/IOC Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Specialised Oceanographic Centre; and the Darwin RFC provides the products and services prescribed for a RSMC;
• Australia can use its standing in international meteorology to influence international developments to national advantage;
• participation in international activities can be shown to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of Bureau operations and services;
• the Bureau contributes to improved international tsunami warning systems; and the contribution of Australian expertise and support improves the quality and performance of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in the South–West Pacific and South–East Asia.

Quality

95% of scheduled regular surface, space–based and upper air (radiosonde and upper wind) observations received on time and within prescribed error limits.

Field equipment outages not greater than 24 hours for essential equipment, 7 working days for operationally backed–up infrastructure, and 22 days for other field equipment.

Computer and communications systems outages not greater than 8 hours per annum for key operational systems.

90% of users surveyed are satisfied with the functional capacity and availability of mission critical communications system components.

90% of users surveyed are satisfied with the functional capacity and availability of mission critical computing system components.

Quantity

Numbers of fully operational observing stations – 50 upper–air stations, 860 synoptic (including automatic weather) stations, 7,500 rainfall stations, 12 drifting buoys, 100 voluntary observing ships, 6 Argo floats, 15 tide gauge stations, 745 river height stations, 60 weather watch radars, 18 satellite ground stations, 17 solar & terrestrial radiation stations; 5 total ozone stations; 2 ozone profile and 1 Baseline station.

28 Australian Integrated Forecast System (AIFS) equipped offices.

98 inter–office communications links operational, 910 automated data collection links operational and 12 international communications circuits operational.

Price

$135.014 m

(Installation, operation and maintenance of operational observational data networks $ 97.348 m; and

Operation and maintenance of telecommunications and information technology infrastructure $ 37.666 m)

Quality

Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre (BMRC) scientists invited to serve on 65 external advisory committees etc.

At least 15 invitations received to present papers at external conferences and workshops.

The BMRC annual report and all workshop and contract project reports produced in good time.

5 system changes, developed by the BMRC, accepted for implementation by operational units (the National Meteorological and Oceanographic Operations Centre and the National Climate Centre).

Quantity

6 viable research groups focussed on priority research issues.

110 research publications including refereed journals, articles, book chapters, conference papers and miscellaneous reports, and missions.

75 external collaborative projects undertaken.

Price

$ 11.986 m

(Resources committed to Weather Research $ 6.621 m;

Climate Research $ 2.661 m;

Ocean Research $ 1.310 m; and

Hydrology Research $ 1.394 m)

Quality

90% of users surveyed indicate that public weather forecasts and warnings are substantially accurate.

90% of users surveyed indicate that public weather forecasts and warnings are becoming more accurate or are maintaining current levels of accuracy.

90% of users surveyed indicate that they are ‘satisfied' or ‘very satisfied' with weather forecast, warning and information services.

90% of users surveyed indicate that weather forecasts, warnings and information services are received in time for them to make their decisions.

96% of regular observation entries into the national climate data base successfully completed within preset quality control standards.

85% of users surveyed are ‘satisfied' or ‘very satisfied' with climate data services.

85% of users surveyed are ‘satisfied' or ‘very satisfied' with consultative meteorological services.

85% of users surveyed are ‘satisfied' or ‘very satisfied' with hydrological data, information, advisory and flood warning services.

90% of users are satisfied with tide prediction services.

90% of users indicate that oceanographic services support their activities.

90% of users indicate that oceanographic services meet their needs.

0.1% downtime for Internet access services.

90% of commercial contracts are completed on time.

90% of existing clients renew commercial contracts.

95% of numerical guidance products are delivered before the scheduled deadlines for dissemination.

90% of users surveyed are satisfied with the value of forecast guidance product components.

Accuracy of centralised analysis and forecast guidance products as measured by statistical evaluation procedures: S1 skill score of 30 points less than persistence in 24–hour predictions over the Australian region; annual average root mean square [rms] error in the 24–hour statistical guidance for maximum temperature of 3 degrees (2.5 degrees for minimum temperature) averaged over all States; anomaly correlations for 72–120–168–hour sea level pressure predictions for 20o S to 60o S from the global prediction system of 75%, 55% and 40% respectively; and annual average rms error of 0.7m in the 24–hour sea state predictions averaged over all available Australian instrumental wave observations.

Accuracy of Seasonal Climate Outlook (SCO) products as measured by SCO skill score exceeds that of climatology.

Quantity

15,000 to 20,000 public weather warnings issued.

300,000 to 350,000 public weather forecast and information bulletins issued.

36,500 tide predictions issued.

430,000 climate data, information, monitoring, prediction and advisory services provided.

2 million hydrological data, information, advisory and flood warning services issued.

7,500 consultative services provided.

5 to 7 million accesses by telephone/facsimile and 4 to 4.5 billion accesses by the Internet for automated weather service delivery systems.

3,000 oceanographic products issued.

3 million telephone, facsimile and Internet accesses to automated climate service delivery systems.

2 million Internet accesses to automated hydrological service delivery systems.

7 Regional Forecasting Centres, 2,400 numerical guidance products issued by the National Meteorological and Oceanographic Operations Centre (NMOC) with 10 systems providing distinctive guidance products.

Price

$80.389 m

(Analysis and Prediction Products $ 6.287 m;

Disaster Mitigation Activities $ 5.233 m;

Public Weather Services $ 14.335 m;

Marine Weather Services $ 1.507 m;

Aviation Weather Services $ 15.353 m;

Defence Weather Services $ 3.357 m;

Cost Recovery Services $ 3.841 m;

Climate Data $ 9.754 m;

Climate Monitoring Service $ 3.039 m;

Flood Warning Service $ 4.987 m;

Hydrometeorological Advice $ 1.850 m;

Oceanographic Services $ 3.546 m; and

Commercial Services $7.300 m)

Quality

Australian influence is exercised through occupancy of important senior positions in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and related organisations.

The value achieved from scientific exchange visits and cooperative projects undertaken with other countries is maintained.

The flow of accurate observational data to Australia is increased through provision of technical assistance and meteorological training to the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of developing countries.

100% of the formal obligations of roles for the Melbourne World Meteorological Centre (WMC) and the Melbourne and Darwin Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs), as designated by the WMO, are fulfilled.

A high level of demand for Australian officers to participate in WMO activities is maintained.

A high level of satisfaction of regional developing NMHSs with Australian technical cooperation is maintained.

Quantity

Australia is represented in all WMO constituent bodies (viz. Congress, Executive Council, Regional Association V, all Technical Commissions).

Three or more major international meteorological meetings are hosted in Australia per year.

Active bilateral cooperative programmes are maintained with the ten countries (China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, USA and Vietnam) with which a Memorandum of Understanding or treaty has been signed and with Japan with which informal letters have been exchanged on cooperation in meteorology and oceanography.

All AusAID projects offering capacity building by the Bureau especially its Training Centre in Melbourne to help develop meteorology in developing countries are supported.

WMC Melbourne, RSMCs Melbourne and Darwin and the Joint WMO/IOC Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) Specialised Oceanographic Centre, Melbourne, are maintained.

Australia is a member of the IOC's Intergovernmental Coordination Group of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWS) and the Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS).

Price

$ 3.715 m