The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has dropped the curtain on a seven-year, $866m program which overhauled its technology.
BOM CEO Andrew Johnson said the Bureau closed its ROBUST program on June 30, after completing a complex transformation of the organisation’s vast information and observing technology systems.
Mr Johnson said the work program had delivered a more secure, stable, and resilient weather, climate, water, ocean and space weather service.
“Its benefits will continue into the future, ensuring the Bureau’s capacity to deliver trusted, reliable and responsive services for Australia.” he said.
“This investment will allow the Bureau to more rapidly develop and support improved products, data and services and to more rapidly recover from service interruptions.”
He said improvements achieved by the program of work included:
- Improved cyber and physical security capabilities.
- New IT infrastructure, networks and data centres.
- A new supercomputer computer for back-up and disaster recovery.
- Major upgrades to observing systems, including new and upgraded radars, automated weather balloon launchers, flood warning equipment and associated communications networks.
- A new, secure and resilient Bureau website.
- Upgraded technology platforms for space weather and flood forecasting.
Mr Johnson said it also delivered a standardised national operating environment, which allowed Bureau employees anywhere in Australia to work remotely and seamlessly access all the technologies they needed to do their job.
He said the program received funding in the 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 Federal Budgets.
“At program closure on June 30, total expenditure from 2017-18 to 2023-24 financial years was $866m.”
