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The changes unveiled last week sparked public uproar, with many criticising the website for being less user friendly. Other claimed key functions to narrow results had been removed and some sections of the site simply did not function. Calling the situation “a joke”, Mr Littleproud on Wednesday warned it was dangerous for regional Australia as parts of the country enter their wet seasons. “The bureau has been littered with errors and mistakes for some years now,” he told Sky News. “In fact, their business model is to mess up and ask for more money, and that’s effectively all they’ve done. “Whether it was last year when they predicted we’re going to have a drought, a whole lot of farmers offloaded all their livestock and crashed the market, and then we had one of the best seasons we’ve ever had, down to just simply managing a website. “The Bureau of Meteorology is losing the currency that it has in regional Australia and right across the country.” Speaking to specific issues around radar monitoring, Mr Littleproud said he thought “it would have been tested” at the very least but ideally improved. “I mean, I don’t think it’s rocket science, but unfortunately the bureau just can’t seem to get their act in order, whether it be a simple website right through to some of the predictions they’re making,” Mr Littleproud said. In a statement earlier, he said he wrote to Environment Minister Murray Watt to order a review of the bureau’s website and “consider restoring key tools relied upon by farmers and rural communities”. Senator Watt on Tuesday met with the bureau’s acting chief executive to discuss the issues. He said he “made clear my expectations that the BOM needed to consider this feedback and, where appropriate, adjust the website’s settings as soon as possible”. “The acting CEO confirmed that the BOM is considering this feedback and what adjustments can be made while preserving the website’s reliability,” Senator Watt said in a statement. “The BOM website is a critical tool to ensure public safety, particularly during the high-risk weather season and it must deliver the quality information our hardworking BOM staff are known for.” Senator Watt also asked the weather agency to brief state and territory emergency ministers “on the new website and the steps BOM is taking to improve it”. “Australians deserve to have confidence in these important services,” Senator Watt said. “My office and I will continue to engage closely with the BOM and ensure public safety is its foremost priority.”
