The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has found itself at the centre of a political storm after disclosing that its much-criticised website redesign ultimately cost taxpayers a staggering $96.5 million - far exceeding initial estimates.
Minister demands answers over budget blowout
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt expressed his dissatisfaction with the enormous cost overrun, confirming he has personally intervened by asking the BoM's new chief executive to provide a full explanation. "I'm not happy with the cost blowout," Watt stated during an interview with ABC News Breakfast, revealing he has shared his concerns directly with Dr Stuart Minchin, the bureau's newly appointed leader.
The minister emphasised his expectations for improved financial management moving forward, saying he wants the BoM to "manage their budgets properly" and learn from this experience to prevent similar situations in future procurements.
Breaking down the controversial costs
Dr Minchin clarified that the total expenditure includes the previously reported $4.1 million allocated for the public-facing website redesign. The remaining funds were directed toward completely rebuilding and testing the underlying systems and technology that support the website.
According to the bureau's detailed breakdown provided to Guardian Australia, the primary platform and website build accounted for $79.8 million, while additional features, security testing and launch preparations consumed another $12.6 million.
The website transformation forms part of a broader $866 million IT system overhaul initiated after a serious cyber security breach in 2015 exposed vulnerabilities in the bureau's digital infrastructure.
Consultancy contracts under scrutiny
Senate estimates hearings have revealed concerning details about consultancy contracts associated with the project. Technology consulting firm Accenture received $78 million for its website work - significantly more than the original $31 million contract value, achieved through nine separate contract extensions.
Meanwhile, Deloitte secured $35 million for its contributions, despite the initial contract being valued at just $11 million.
Opposition voices have been quick to condemn the spending. Nationals leader David Littleproud described the situation as "unbelievable," characterising it as "nothing more than another Labor disaster" that delivered poor value for Australian taxpayers.
Ongoing improvements and future plans
Since the website's problematic launch last month, which drew widespread criticism from both politicians and the public, the BoM has implemented several updates in response to user feedback. These changes include restoring the radar map to display rain reflectivity as standard and reintroducing the previous visual style that users found more familiar.
Dr Minchin confirmed that further improvements are planned, focusing specifically on enhancing the usability of the rain radar and weather map features. However, the deployment of these updates has been temporarily paused due to Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina affecting the Northern Territory, with implementation scheduled once the severe weather conditions subside.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a formal apology last month for its handling of the website launch and has continued to make adjustments to help users locate functions they were accustomed to finding on the previous version of the site.
