Bureau of Meteorology Allocates Additional $1.15 Million for Website Corrections Following Costly Rebuild Controversy
The Bureau of Meteorology has disclosed that an extra $1.15 million was expended on updating and refining its website in late 2025. This expenditure comes in the wake of significant public dissatisfaction with an earlier website rebuild that cost approximately $100 million. The revelation was made by BOM chief executive officer Dr Stuart Minchin during a Senate estimates hearing on Monday.
CEO Acknowledges Shortcomings in User Experience
Dr Minchin provided a candid assessment of the website overhaul, stating that while it achieved 80-90 per cent of its intended outcomes, it fell short in several critical areas of user experience for certain community segments. "We are working hard on addressing those," he affirmed. The CEO emphasised that ongoing incremental improvements were always part of the budget, noting that post-launch adjustments are a standard necessity in such projects.
"Across November and December, incremental improvement has cost $1.15 million over that period," Dr Minchin reported. He took over leadership of the bureau just three weeks after the new website design was launched, inheriting a project that had already sparked considerable controversy.
Public Outrage Over Navigation and Cost Discrepancies
The website overhaul, rolled out in October, faced widespread criticism from Australians who took to social media to voice their frustrations. Key complaints centred on the site being harder to navigate and the weather radar becoming more difficult to read. Much of the public anger was directed at the staggering $96 million price tag, which contrasted sharply with the bureau's initial claim that the project would cost only $4.1 million.
At a previous parliamentary hearing, Dr Minchin had defended the IT works, explaining that there had been a misunderstanding regarding the total cost. He clarified that the nearly $100 million expenditure was actually for a broader program named "Robust," which encompassed far more than a simple website refresh.
Comprehensive IT Overhaul Beyond Website Design
Dr Minchin urged the public to recognise the extensive scope of the overhaul, which aimed to supercharge the IT systems supporting Australia's national weather agency. The project included:
- Reconstruction of underlying IT technology
- Installation of a supercomputer to manage vast data streams from observation networks and weather models
- Enhancement of systems to accommodate new features and emerging technologies
BOM's chief information officer, Nichole Brinsmead, reinforced that the additional $1.15 million spent in late 2025 was a budgeted expense. "We actually set aside money every year for ongoing improvements and feature releases for both the app and the website," she stated. "We'll continue to do that in future years as well. As new products and services come online, we will continue to invest and upgrade and enhance the website."
Political Context and Historical Approval
Environment Minister Senator Murray Watt reminded Opposition Senators during the hearing that the larger program of works had initially been approved by the Turnbull government in 2017. This historical context underscores the long-term planning and bipartisan involvement in the bureau's technological advancements.
The ongoing investments highlight the bureau's commitment to maintaining and improving its digital infrastructure, even as it navigates the challenges of public perception and budgetary scrutiny.
