Outcome:	1	Question No:	41	
Output:	1.3 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	Australian Tsunami Warning System	
Hansard Page ECITA:	52 (28 May) 	

Senator Eggleston asked:
Given that there are two agencies involved, can you tell me what the total expenditure on these systems is? What is your expenditure in the bureau? Do you know what the level of Geoscience budget allocation for tsunami warning systems is?
Dr Love—No. I could go back to the total break-up in the new policy proposal. As I said, I think it was $68.9 million or $69.8 million or something over four years, and I think the bureau finished up with about 60 per cent, Geoscience Australia with 38 per cent and Emergency Management Australia with a couple of per cent for public education. We used that money and built synergistically onto the warning capabilities in our forecast centres across Australia. Attribution of cost would be a tricky exercise, because the normal senior forecasters who you hear on the radio talking about the weather in Perth or wherever would also then supervise the issuing of warnings according to standard protocols when they are required. That capability really has not been costed into the services. It is just a small incremental cost, if you like.
Senator EGGLESTON—Could you take on notice what the expenditure is for each agency?
Dr Love—We can do that.
Dr Love—Just so that I am clear, because I am clearly taking this on notice, you want to know the changes in funding to the tsunami warning service as a consequence of the change in government?
Senator EGGLESTON—Yes, for both the Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia. If you could do that on notice, I would be most grateful.
Dr Love—Sure.

Answer/s:
The allocations to individual agencies for the Australian Tsunami Warning System over an implementation period of four years are:

Bureau of Meteorology		$40.5 million
Geoscience Australia			$21.0 million
Emergency Management Australia	$7.3 million

There has been no change in funding for the Australian Tsunami Warning System for the Bureau or its partner agencies, apart from the additional 2% efficiency dividend.  

Outcome:	1	Question No:	42	
Output:	1.1 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	Field meteorological offices	
Hansard Page ECITA:	52 (28 May) 	

Senator Birmingham asked:

Dr Love, can we turn to the bureau’s field meteorological officers, I note in the budget paper in the portfolio statements on page 107 it speaks of the replacement of a number of field meteorological offices and $1.2 million allocated towards that. Which offices are earmarked for replacement?

Answer:
In 2008-09 the Bureau plans to complete the rebuild of the Broome and Esperance field meteorological offices and to plan the rebuilding projects for the Port Hedland, Geraldton, Albany and Sydney offices.

Outcome:	1	Question No:	43	
Output:	1.5 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	Water for the Future funds - BOM	
Hansard Page ECITA:	54 (28 May) 	

Senator Birmingham asked:
You may need to take this on notice.  Are you able to provide a breakdown of the Water for the Future funds available to the bureau and how that is applied to extra staff versus undertaking programs, new software, research etc?

Answer:
WATER FOR THE FUTURE FUNDING 	
Budget and forward years only						
						
Expenditure	 2007-08
$m	2008-09
$m	2009-10
$m	2010-11
$m	2011-12
$m	
Employee Expense	            3,704 	            8,970 	          11,197 	          11,899 	          12,497 	
Goods and Services Expense	            4,320 	            8,944 	          13,323 	          17,486 	          19,742 	
Property Operating Expense	   620 	   949 	            1,184 	            1,258 	            1,321 	
Depreciation Expense	            1,054 	            1,924 	            2,967 	            3,464 	            3,714 	
 					 	
Total	            9,698 	          20,787 	          28,671 	          34,107 	          37,274 	
						
Equity Injection	            5,082 	            4,216 	            7,476 	            5,020 	            2,516 	
Grant funding (Admin)	          10,000 	          20,000 	          20,000 	          20,000 	          10,000 	

-
Outcome:	Outcome 1	Question No:	44	
Output:	Output 1.5 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	Water for the Future funding	
Hansard Page ECITA:	No 55 (28 May) 	

Senator Birmingham asked:
Senator BIRMINGHAM—Are these payments to state government or local government authorities within those states?
Dr Love—They are payments to authorities within the states...
Senator BIRMINGHAM—You might like to provide those details on notice. (a)
Dr Love—We can give you that, but it is a range of authorities and departments.
Senator BIRMINGHAM—Thank you. How are those grants determined? How do you decide the division? Obviously there is some large disparity that is not based necessarily on population or geography between the states.
Dr Love—No. Those were not the criteria in the first instance. I do not have a complete list of the criteria. We will provide that to you… (b)

Answers:
(a)	The invoiced amounts for approved grants in 2007-08 under the Modernisation and Extension of Hydrological Monitoring Services program were as follows:

Jurisdiction	Agencies	Total value	
New South Wales	Department of Water and Energy	$2,992,559.49	
	Department of Environment and Climate Change	$767,800.00	
South Australia	Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation	$189,516.00	
Tasmania	Department of Primary Industries and Water 	$340,599.01	
	Hydro Tasmania	$331,320.00	
	Department of Treasury and Finance	$3,300.00	
	Hobart Regional Water Authority	$93,589.10	
Victoria	Department of Sustainability and Environment	$53,900.00	
	GWM Water (Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water Corporation) 	$125,400.00	
	Goulburn-Murray Rural Water Corporate	$126,225.00	
	Southern Rural Water 	$119,110.41	
Queensland	Department of Natural Resources and Water	$135,630.00	
	SunWater	$907,500.00	
	Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority	$88,000.00	
	South West Natural Resource Management Ltd	$132,000.00	
Western Australia	WA Department of Water 	$1,441,770.00	
	Ord Irrigation Co-operative	$43,512.60	
Northern Territory	Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts 	$671,978.74	
	Power and Water Corporation	$176,000.00	
ACT	Department of Territory and Municipal Services	$95,700.00	
Total		$8,835,410.35	

(b)	The evaluation criteria used to select projects for funding (to 30 June 2008) through the Modernisation and Extension of Hydrological Monitoring Systems Programme, were as follows:

•	Compliance with the draft funding agreement;
•	Activity eligible for funding;
•	Technical strength of the proposal;
•	Project budget and financing;
•	Cost effectiveness;
•	Management capability of the project proponent; and
•	Alignment with Bureau of Meteorology and jurisdictional priorities.

Outcome:	1	Question No:	45	
Output:	1.3 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	Emergency warning systems - audits	
Hansard Page ECITA:	58 (28 May) 	

Senator Birmingham asked:
Dr Love, how frequently are the emergency warning systems operated by the bureau audited?

Senator BIRMINGHAM—Perhaps you could take on notice and detail the schedule of those audits for the different types of programs—when the last audit was had and what the results of that were, please.

Answer/s:
A full performance audit of the Bureau’s weather services was conducted by the ANAO in 1999 and tabled in Parliament on 22 December 1999.

The Bureau of Meteorology became an Executive Agency under the Public Service Act on 1 July 2002. As required under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 the Bureau has conducted internal audits of its programs since then. The auditing function has been outsourced to professional companies, selected after competitive tender. The Internal Audit program is monitored by an Audit Committee comprised of both Bureau of Meteorology and external staff with an observer from the ANAO.

The Weather Services program was audited in 2005. 

Front-line severe weather services are delivered through the Regional Offices. Recent audits of the operations of these offices were:

2003 Queensland; South Australia
2004 Western Australia; Victoria
2005 New South Wales; Tasmania/Antarctica
2006 Northern Territory
 
The review of the Weather Services program in 2005 found that the procedures and processes in place for the continuing delivery of Weather Services were of a high standard, and that there was an increasing awareness of the delivery of services. 

The last internal audit relevant to front-line weather services, that of the Northern Territory, found that the operations of the Northern Territory Regional Office were of a good standard, and that direction setting processes were appropriately linked to national objectives and tailored to user needs. The review noted that the remote location of the Northern Territory office raises a number of critical issues in relation to attracting and retaining specialised staff. The Bureau's staff employment processes now ensure that adequate numbers of staff willing to be posted to Darwin are recruited.

Internal reviews are also conducted of emergency warning services and systems. Post-event surveys are conducted after significant severe weather events including surveys on the effectiveness of warnings. Every May a meeting, with representatives from the three Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres and national program staff, is held to review the performance of the tropical cyclone warning service over the past season with a view to continually improve its effectiveness. A Weather Services Conference held every one to two years reviews the Bureau's Weather Services including the severe weather services. 

Outcome:	1	Question No:	46	
Output:	1.3 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	US forecasting system	
Hansard Page ECITA:	59 (28 May) 	

Senator Birmingham asked:
What is the cost of installation for that program (Graphical Forecast Editor)?

Answer/s:
A total of $7.6m over four years for the Victorian prototype.

Outcome:	1	Question No:	47	
Output:	1.5 	
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	Water / Water Security	
Hansard Page ECITA:	Written Question on Notice 	

Senator Nash asked:
(a)	What role will the Bureau of Meteorology have in the National Plan for Water Security? 
(b)	Will the Bureau of Meteorology still be the lead the agency for river flow data collection and dissemination under the Water for the Future? 
(c)	How much funding has been allocated to the Bureau of Meteorology under the Water for the Future?

Answer/s:
(a)   Under the Commonwealth Water Act 2007, the Bureau’s new water information role includes:
•	Collecting, holding, managing, interpreting and disseminating Australia’s water information;
•	Providing regular reports on the status of Australia’s water resources and patterns of usage of those resources;
•	Providing regular forecasts on the future availability of Australia’s water resources;
•	Compiling and maintaining water accounts for Australia, including a set of water accounts to be known as the National Water Account;
•	Issuing National Water Information Standards;
•	Giving advice on matters relating to water information; and
•	Undertaking and commissioning investigations to enhance understanding of Australia’s water resources.

(b)	In addition to its new water information responsibilities, the Bureau will continue to fulfil the hydrological services role it played prior to Water for the Future, which includes the provision of flood forecasting and warning services. Except for a limited amount of primary data collection for these existing services (including river flow data), the Bureau relies on primary data supplied by state and local government agencies across Australia. 

Similarly, in the case of its new water information role, the Bureau will be collating primary data supplied by state and territory organisations, and disseminating these data for public use.

(c) 	Under Water for the Future, the Bureau of Meteorology has been allocated $447.9 million over ten years, from 2007-08.

Outcome:	All	Question No:	48	
Output:		
Division/Agency:	Bureau of Meteorology	
Topic:	BOM Administration	
Hansard Page ECITA:	Written Question on Notice 	

Senator Birmingham asked:
(a)	Did the Bureau seek an exemption from the application of the one-off two per cent efficiency dividend?
(b)	If so, why did the Bureau feel it needed to apply for this exemption, to whom did it apply and was the exemption granted?
(c)	If the efficiency dividend applies, how will the Bureau manage the funding cut and what, if any, programs will be cut to accommodate it?  Can the Bureau outline the source [e.g. the Minister, the Department of Finance and Deregulation] of any suggested savings measures? 
(d)	Is the Bureau budgeting for an operating loss and, if so, is it because of the application of the efficiency dividend?
(e)	Has the Bureau made in the last six months any request, in accordance with the Financial Management and Accountability Act, for Regulation 10 Authority from the Finance Minister?  If so, why was this authority sought?  
(f)	What is the total number of permanent staff employed on a:
(i)  full-time basis?
(ii)  part-time basis?
(iii) part-time equivalent basis?
(g)	How many employees are employed on contract and what is the average length of their employment period?
(h)	What are the base and top level salaries of:
(i)  APS level 1 to 6 officers?
(ii)  Executive level officers?
(iii) Senior Executive Services officers?
(iv) Equivalent officers employed?
(i)	How many officers are employed at executive level and SES level?
(j)	How many permanent staff have been recruited since 26 November 2007?  What level are these staff?
(k)	How many temporary positions exist or have been created since 26 November?
(l)	Since 26 November, how many employees have been employed on contract and what is the average length of their employment period?
(m)	Does the Bureau monitor the media?
(n)	How much has been spent on media monitoring to date this year?
(o)	Is any information provided to the Minister?
(p)	How many employees are engaged in positions responsible for public affairs, media management, liaison with the media and media monitoring?
(q)	What are the APS classifications of these positions?
(r)	What is the current operating budget for these media-related sections?
(s)	What appointments have been made by the Government (through Executive Council, Cabinet and Ministers) to Statutory Authorities, Executive Agencies and Advisory Boards?
(t)	What are the respective appointees’ credentials?
(u)	How many vacancies remain to be filled by Ministerial (including Cabinet and Executive Council) appointments?
(v)	How long have the positions been vacant?
(w)	What grants which have been approved by Ministers from within their portfolio?
(x)	Has the Bureau received any advice on how to respond to freedom of information (FOI) requests?
(y)	How many FOI requests has the Bureau received?
(z)	How many have been granted or denied?
(aa)	How many conclusive certificates have been issued in relation to FOI requests?

Answers:

(a)	No

(b)	N/A

(c)	Cut will be spread across all programs.

(d)	No

(e)	No regulation 10 requests have gone to the Finance Minister in the 6 months 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2008.

(f)
 	Ongoing 	
Work Contract	Full time	Part Time	
BoM Core	1165	56	
External Funded	44	4	
Total	1209	60	
Note: all values as at 30 June 2008	

(g)	There are 162 Non-ongoing staff currently on the Bureau payroll (as at 30 June 2008).  The average length of service is 3 years.

(h)
classification	bottom of range ($)	top of range ($)	
AP1 	21,788	40,133	
AP2 	42,229	46,673	
AP3 	46,810	54,011	
AP4 	52,171	56,646	
AP5 	58,191	62,849	
AP6 	64,411	72,196	
EL1 	80,569	98,032	
EL2 (lower) 	92,925	110,730	
EL2 (upper) ~ 	108,873	145,291	
SES* 	105,351	183,670	
Note: all values as at 30 June 2008	

~EL2 (upper) includes Senior Principal Research Scientists
*The HoA is not included in the SES numbers, Chief of Division is included as SES equivalent, does not include seconded CSIRO staff.

(i)
	EL1 officers	EL2 lower officers	EL2 upper officers	SES*	
BoM Core 	260	101	35	18	
S31 	31	10	3	 	
G&S 	8	1	 	 	
Asset Recruited 	20	 	 	 	
Total	319	112	38	18	
Note: all values as at 30 June 2008	
The HoA is not included in the SES numbers, does not include seconded CSIRO staff.

(j)
classification	number of commencements	
AP1 	 	
AP2 	2	
AP3 	2	
AP4 	3	
AP5 	4	
AP6 	25	
EL1 	14	
EL2 (lower) 	6	
EL2 (upper) 	2	
SES ^	1	
Total	59	
Note: all values as at 30 June 2008	
Note: included in this number are the 33 IPS staff transferred to the Bureau as part of the Dec 2007 MoG changes, 26 staff actually recruited in this time frame (as at 30 June 2008).

(k)	There are 277 temporary (non-ongoing) positions within the Bureau (as at 30 June 2008).  18 new non-ongoing positions have been created since 26 November 2007.

 (l)
classification	number of commencements	
AP1	 	
AP2	1	
AP3	6	
AP4	4	
AP5	7	
AP6	23	
EL1	8	
EL2 (lower)	 	
EL2 (upper)	 	
SES	1	
Total	50	
Note: all values as at 30 June 2008	

The average length of service is 6 months.

(m)	Yes

(n)	In 2007-08 $12,000 was spent on media monitoring.

(o)	The Bureau does not provide the Ministers with media monitoring reports.

(p)	4

(q)	Executive Level 2 (1 position)
Executive Level 1 (2 positions)
APS level 5 (1 position)

(r)	$81,000

(s)	Nil

(t)	N/A

(u)	Nil

(v)	N/A

(w)	The following grants were approved by the Minister, under the Modernisation and Extension of Hydrological Monitoring Services program:

Department of Water and Energy NSW 	$3,119,500
Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW	$698,000
Department of Water, Land, and Biodiversity Conservation SA	$382,300
Department of Primary Industries and Water Tasmania	$603,000
Hydro Tasmania	$301,200
Department of Treasury and Finance Tasmania	$3,000
Hobart Regional Water Authority	$94,236
Department of Sustainability and Environment Victoria	$259,000
GWM Water	$114,000
Goulburn-Murray Rural Water Corporation	$117,150
Southern Rural Water	$124,000
Department of Natural Resources and Water	$333,300
SunWater	$825,000
Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority	$80,000
South West Natural Resources Management	$120,000
Department of Water WA	$1,550,700
Ord Irrigation Co-operative	$40,000
Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts NT	$905,100
Power and Water Corporation NT	$160,000
Northern Territory Treasury	$1,300
ACTEW	$84,000
Department of Territory and Municipal Services	$3,000

(x)	The Legal Officer of the Bureau responds to all FOI requests received. Over the years the Legal Officer has attended FOI training run by the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) and some complex FOI requests were handled with AGS assistance. 

(y)	The Bureau received three FOI requests during the 2007-08 financial year. The Bureau was also party to an FOI request received by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

(z)	In all cases the applicants were granted part or full access to documents requested.

(aa)	None