The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has been forced to reveal the staggering total cost of its controversial website overhaul, a figure that has sparked outrage and a formal apology. The final bill for the revamp reached $96.5 million, a sum that has drawn sharp criticism from the federal environment minister.
Ministerial Displeasure and Demands for Explanation
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt expressed his profound dissatisfaction with the massive cost blowout. He confirmed he has personally confronted the BoM's newly appointed chief executive, Dr Stuart Minchin, demanding a full account of the project's financial management.
"I'm not happy with the cost blowout," Watt stated publicly, adding that he had shared his concerns directly with Dr Minchin. The minister has tasked the new CEO with determining "what happened here" and expects a significant shift in the bureau's approach to budgeting and procurement in the future.
Breaking Down the Multi-Million Dollar Price Tag
Dr Minchin, who revealed the updated cost figure, provided a detailed breakdown. He explained that the widely reported $4.1 million previously cited only covered the public-facing front-end redesign.
The colossal remainder of the budget was allocated to completely rebuilding and rigorously testing the complex systems and technology underpinning the website. This extensive work was deemed necessary to ensure the platform's security and stability, enabling it to process the vast amounts of data from the bureau's observation networks and weather models.
A specific cost breakdown supplied by the BoM shows that the primary channels platform and website build cost $79.8 million. A further $12.6 million was spent on additional features, security testing, and final preparations for the site's launch.
Contract Extensions and Ongoing Scrutiny
The website project was part of a broader, decade-long IT systems overhaul at the BoM, initiated after a serious cyber intrusion in 2015 exposed system vulnerabilities. This larger project has cost taxpayers $866 million.
Through Senate estimates, it was revealed that consulting firm Accenture received $78 million for its work on the website, a contract that had been extended nine times from an original value of $31 million. Another firm, Deloitte, was paid $35 million for its involvement, up from an initial $11 million contract.
The BoM has faced a deluge of public criticism since the new site launched, leading to a swift apology and a series of updates to restore functionality users had lost. Further planned improvements, including making the rain radar and weather map easier to use, were temporarily paused due to Severe Tropical Cyclone Fina.
