Bureau of Meteorology to face independent review months after $96m website launch disaster

The Bureau of Meteorology will face an independent review less than a year after the disastrous launch of its new website, the Environment Minister has announced.

The national weather service was the subject of intense public scrutiny in October 2025 when its launched its long-awaited new $96m website upgrade – part of a sweeping almost-$900m technology upgrade beset by Covid-related delays and cost blowouts.

On Tuesday, the Bureau announced an independent review had been commissioned by chief executive Dr Stuart Minchin, in consultation with Environment Minister Murray Watt.

While not specifically naming the website, the Bureau said the review will help inform their “future organisational strategy” and ensure it delivers value in a rapidly changing environment, according to a statement.

“The work BOM staff do every day is complex and they face a range of pressures, so this review will bring an independent perspective to understanding the services being delivered and how that value can be strengthened into the future,” Senator Watt said.

The Environment Minister said maintaining trust in the Bureau, as well as “ensuring the effectiveness of BOM’s information and services”, was essential.

“BOM’s role in keeping Australia safe, informed, and prepared in a changing climate has never been more vital,” he said.

“Many Australians rely on BOM to make decisions on-farm, at work and in severe weather, and I know we’re all committed to ensuring that future services meet people’s needs and expectations.”

The review will form part of preparation for the Bureau’s next strategic plan, which is set to come into effect in the second half of 2027.

It will be led by former chief executive of the Murray Darling Basin Authority Phillip Glyde, who, along with an expert panel, will probe the Bureau’s service offerings and alignment with current and future community needs, opportunities to strengthen its reputation and resilience, strategic challenges, and areas of “unmet customer demand”.

The panel will also examine the effectiveness of the Bureau’s communication with the public, and with stakeholders such as the farming sector.

A report is expected from the panel by March 31, 2027.

Dr Minchin, who took over as chief executive in November 2025, said the Bureau’s next strategy was a “significant opportunity to take a fresh look at what matters most to the Australian community” and to ensure the agency was “well positioned to meet future challenges and opportunities”.

“We deeply value the trust that the Australian public and our customers place in us,” he said.

“Our work underpins essential services, economic activity, environmental health and community wellbeing, for all Australians every day, so it’s important we get it right.

“This review will help the Bureau of Meteorology better understand current and future customer needs and ensure our strategy and services are squarely focused on the things that are important to the Australian community, our customers and partners.”

“It is about ensuring the bureau remains a trusted, modern and responsive organisation that continues to meet the needs and expectations of a changing world.”

Senator Watt, appearing before a Senate estimate’s hearing last year, sought to level blame for the website debacle on the former Coalition government amid accusations by the wide-reaching upgrades were a “nightmare case study in contract failure” and a “failure in leadership”, riddled by “completely unacceptable and unethical behaviour by the very big consultants”.

Dr Minchin, who also addressed the probe, said the suite of upgrades was originally budgeted at $788m – it ultimately blew out, the hearing was told, to about $800m.

“The program as a whole went roughly 15 per cent over budget,” he said.

Only about 10 per cent of the final funding went to the website.

Dr Minchin said the Bureau needed to “completely transform” its vast technology systems following a “significant cyber intrusion” and outages in 2015-16.