Nationals leader David Littleproud has called for heads to roll over the BoM website disaster. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s shemozzle of a new website has cost taxpayers more than $96 million, sparking Coalition outrage and inviting a “please explain” from the Federal Government.
It was earlier stated that the redesign was costing just over $4 million.
The BoM switched to a new website and app last month with little warning, causing chaos among users who found it difficult to navigate, confusing to understand, and harder to read.
Farmers and regional users who rely heavily on the weather information were particularly upset with the changes.
The public outcry over the mess prompted the BoM to call for community feedback to help fix it.
Less than a fortnight after its launch, the bureau’s radar map was reverted to its previous state, with the promise of more fixes underway.
These new updates were stalled due to the attention the bureau had to give to Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina in northern Australia.
The bureau’s newly installed chief executive officer, Stuart Minchin, has now issued a statement revealing the true costs of the failed website and accepting that the BoM got it wrong.
“Inherently, we don’t, and won’t, always get it perfectly right. But, we are constantly striving to get better,” Dr Minchin said.
“I’ve been fully briefed on the new website, the feedback we have received and our response through the updates that have been completed and that are planned … The total cost of the website is approximately $96.5 million. This includes the previously stated $4.1 million for redesigning the website’s front end.
“The remaining cost reflects the significant investment required to fully rebuild and test the systems and technology that underpin the website, making sure it is secure and stable and can draw in the vast amounts of data gathered from our observing network and weather models.
“Given this investment, it’s vital we get it right.”
The breakdown of the website’s costs are $4.1 million for the redesign, $79.8 million to build it, and $12.6 million to launch and security test it.
Nationals leader David Littleproud can barely restrain his outrage, calling for a review into the debacle and for consequences to be dished out.
“It is unbelievable a private consultancy was paid $78 million to redesign the website, but then security and system testing meant that Australian taxpayers actually paid $96 million for what was nothing more than another Labor disaster,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The seriousness of this cannot be understated. This isn’t just about a clunky website; the changes actually put lives and safety at risk.
“The new platform did not allow people to enter GPS coordinates for their specific property locations, restricting searches to towns or postcodes.
“Families and farmers could not access vital, localised data such as river heights and rainfall information, and this missing data created panic and fear across communities.
“But now, the fact that the BoM has been hiding the true cost of its white elephant and initially lying about the total figure is deeply concerning, considering that the BoM should be all about trust.”
Mr Littleproud described the BoM as having a history over recent years littered with errors.
“Their business model is to mess up and then ask for more money,” he said.
“It is actually a safety matter and a financial issue, in terms of livestock and machinery, that has enormous impacts during floods and storms … The BoM’s mistakes are unforgivable because people’s livelihoods depend on the accuracy of their information.
“When government failure destroys lives, serious questions need to be answered. Australians deserve to know how this latest disaster unfolded.
“The BoM is sadly losing the currency that it has in regional Australia and right across the country, and it only has itself to blame.”
Environment Minister Murray Watt pointed out that while the BoM’s new CEO has been in the job a little more than a week, he has asked for a report into the matter.
Senator Murray said he had met with Dr Minchin twice in the past week.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that I haven’t been happy with the way the BoM has handled the transition to the new website,” Senator Watt said on Sunday (23 November).
“I met with him on his first day and during the week just gone, to outline again that I think the BOM hasn’t met public expectations, both in terms of the performance of the website and the cost of the website.
“So I’ve asked him as his first priority to make sure that he can get on top of the issues with the website — the functionality — and I’m pleased to see they’ve made changes.
“But I’ve also asked him to get on top of how we got to this position with this cost, with the problems.
“He’s only been in the job for a week, but I think my expectations have been made very clear.”
