John Watson (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

The Bureau of Meterology annual report of 2005-06 outlines some of the bureau’s notable achievements, which include but are not limited to: progress towards the establishment of the Australian tsunami warning system; the installation of new radar facilities at Tennant Creek and Mackay; the new Doppler radars for Adelaide and Brisbane; commissioning the new meterological office at Mackay; significant progress on rebuilding of facilities on Willis Island; the introduction of the seven-day forecast for all capital cities; the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; providing access to the latest software systems for forecasts and warnings; and commencement of the SunSmart UV Alert service in collaboration with the Cancer Council and the Australian Radiation Protection Nuclear Safety Agency.

Other achievements include: successful completion of the Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment observation phase—the largest international weather experiment to take place in Australia; recognition of the bureau’s website as the most popular government website and nationally the most popular Australian education reference website in 2005; the implementation of the new version of the Australian regional area prediction system using satellite and wind observations, and work in collaboration with CSIRO on the Australian Community Climate Earth System Simulator. There was also the work on the generation earth system simulator and the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station in my state of Tasmania—one of the premier meterological stations in the world—and part of the Global Atmosphere Watch network.

The bureau has a very fine record of providing all Australians with quality information and working with international organisations to help set up important integrated global systems. I commend their professionalism, innovation and hard work, and I am sure that they will continue to meet their world-class standards into the future. The bureau reached and exceeded many of its performance targets, which were identified in the 2005-06 portfolio budget statements. However, while indicating continued maintenance of satisfactory performance levels, these targets do not convey the vulnerability of the operations in the medium to longer term under its present budget arrangements, with increasing demands for services. I believe that careful consideration will be needed to realign targets to reflect the bureau’s real capacity to meet community expectations with current resource levels. Given the national significance of drought, climate change and aggregate forecasts for cyclones, floods and fire conditions, I suggest the need for far more positive attitude towards funding.

The Bureau of Meterology and the CSIRO have been at the forefront of the government focus on climate change and water initiatives. I would like to address the progress of falling rainfall in my own state of Tasmania and its effect. I have got a lot of this information from the bureau. Over the past hundred years, most of Tasmania has seen a reduction in average rainfall of 10 millimetres over a decade. In the last 30 years, this has increased to a reduction of up to 30 to 40 millimetres throughout the state. I note that part of the west coast region has actually seen an increase. However, even if we experience normal rainfall to the end of December 2006, Burnie, on the north-west coast, will experience its driest year since records began. The reduction in rainfall has been especially felt in other parts of the state, particularly south of Oaklands, a normally dry part of Tasmania. It has experienced a dry winter and a dry spring, and harsh frosts have retarded the growth of grass. This will affect the ability of much of the state to produce hay, which in turn will affect the productivity of livestock next winter.

On my own personal property in West Tamar I have observed just how harsh the seasons are becoming. The combination of low rainfall and regular frosts has this spring in effect killed off bracken fern. I remind senators that the bracken fern is amongst the most robust of plants. I also acknowledge that generations of rural families have been providing rainfall readings for over a hundred years. I acknowledge the May family at Sandford, the Cotton family at Swansea, the Legge family at St Marys, the Loney and Porter families at Mangalore, the McShane and Bisdee families at Melton Mowbray and the Smith family at Yolla. All families have been awarded 100-year Tasmanian rainfall recording excellence awards. (Time expired)

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join Senator Watson in congratulating the bureau staff on the excellent work they do. The agency is one of the unsung heroes of government and does a job that few Australians understand fully. Its annual report, as Senator Watson has mentioned, highlights some of their particular initiatives and achievements during the course of the year. The redevelopment of the Willis Island Meterological Office is certainly one of those. When I was the parliamentary secretary to the minister for the environment and in charge of the weather bureau, I had the opportunity of visiting Willis Island. It is a very small coral atoll a long way out into the Coral Sea, some 400 kilometres east-north-east of Cairns.

The people who used to man that island station did a fabulous job, but they were completely isolated for two and three months at a time. Being so far away from other human activity did sometimes have some challenges. But people in the bureau have maintained that station for many a year, and it is particularly important to those of us who live in North Queensland as a first line of defence, one might almost say, to the cyclones that we are used to in the north. I recall from when I stayed there for a few days the thought of going into the bunker if a tidal wave came across in the time of a cyclone—which it would easily do; I think the maximum height above sea level is about two or three metres at its very highest. So it was very vulnerable, and the people who operated it performed a magnificent service for Australia. Those who support that place at Willis Island continue to be a very important part in the network.

Senator Watson mentioned also that Cape Grim in his state of Tasmania is a world-class facility. It is placed at Cape Grim because, as I understand it, the winds that move around the globe from east to west have no landmass before them. If you go to the other side of Tasmania and then go right around the globe, the winds do not touch any land before they come back to land at Cape Grim. It is for that reason that the facility was set up there. It is called Cape Grim for obvious reasons—although, as I recall when I went to visit, it was a beautiful, sunny, clear day with not a ripple on the water. It was rather disappointing to me to think that Cape Grim was such an idyllic place! But, again, the people who work there do a fabulous job.

The Bureau of Meteorology at the moment is under the control, in a government sense, of Mr Greg Hunt, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. The bureau, of course, is led very ably by Dr Geoff Love. Australian meteorologists have had a very significant impact on the world. The previous director of meteorology, Dr John Zillman, was for many years the head of the World Meteorological Organisation and gave great credit to the science of meteorology and to Australia in the way he performed the role of head of the meteorological agencies right throughout the world.

One of the things that many of us politicians particularly like about the Bureau or Meteorology is the fabulous calendar they produce every year. Those who are privileged to be on the list would have recently received their copy. The calendar has magnificent photos of quite unique weather and meteorological phenomena and is in great demand. All credit to those who produce it. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.