Councils Warn Bureau of Meteorology’s Flood Tool Axe Poses “Perhaps Deadly” Risk
A decision by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) to discontinue its free, real-time flood forecasting tool, Enviromon, is sparking alarm among local councils and emergency services in Queensland and New South Wales, who warn the move represents a hazardous cost shift with potentially life-threatening consequences. For nearly three decades, Enviromon has provided critical data to local governments, emergency responders, and water managers, informing alert systems and aiding in flood mitigation efforts.
The BoM plans to end support and maintenance for Enviromon by July, replacing it with a US-developed program called OneRain.A key concern is that OneRain cannot be sublicensed, effectively ending the possibility of free access for public bodies. While the BoM maintains rainfall and river level data will remain accessible via its website,updates will be delivered in 15-minute intervals – a significant slowdown compared to Enviromon’s near real-time updates.
Brisbane City Council is among those voicing strong opposition. A spokesperson stated the change would cost the council $100,000 annually, funds that would otherwise be allocated to bolstering emergency preparedness. “This is a cost shift from the commonwealth to local government, and it’s a potentially deadly one,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson emphasized that, under the Meteorology Act 1955, the BoM is responsible for riverine flood forecasts and warnings, while flash flood warnings fall under the purview of local and state governments.
The financial implications extend beyond Brisbane. The Gold Coast City Council estimates replacing Enviromon will cost approximately $600,000 over five years, and Mayor Tom Tate has called on the federal government to cover these expenses, arguing the BoM is a “commonwealth obligation.” “We are doing our bit but we need all levels of government to continue to fund critical disaster management infrastructure,” Tate said.
The Local Government Association of Queensland echoed these concerns, urging the BoM to “provide an equivalent replacement service” to local governments across the state. “When weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe it simply does not make sense that a service taxpayers have already funded wants to charge for emergency details,” said Alison Smith, the association’s chief executive officer. “The BoM has a core role as a national provider of public weather and environmental information.”
The impact isn’t limited to Queensland. In New South Wales, where the State Emergency Service (SES) is responsible for flood warnings, a spokesperson confirmed the institution utilized Enviromon and is “working with the bureau as we transition to alternative arrangements.” A Victorian SES spokesperson indicated their organization did not use the software.
The BoM defends its decision,stating Enviromon no longer meets “basic cybersecurity,stability and resilience standards required of a flood forecast and warning system.” The bureau claims to have been actively assisting users in the transition process, with the optimal solution determined by “the individual user requirements.”
The shift also affects critical infrastructure management.Seqwater, responsible for managing dams and reservoirs in south-east Queensland and implementing flood mitigation strategies, currently uses Enviromon but is trialling a product from the company behind OneRain as a potential replacement.
the controversy surrounding Enviromon arrives as the BoM faces ongoing criticism for its recently redesigned $86 million website, prompting an apology and promises of revisions after the federal surroundings minister, Murray Watt, acknowledged it was “not meeting many users’ expectations.” Ross Cadell, the shadow emergency management minister, expressed concerns about the BoM’s internal validation processes, stating, “After failures such as the website for such a high amount of money, we have concerns about the internal processes of checking and validating any technology BoM seeks to roll out.” Cadell further suggested the BoM should have mandated sublicensing as a condition of its contract when seeking a replacement for Enviromon.
though, OneRain Australia director James Logan argues Enviromon is outdated, relying on insecure versions of Microsoft Windows and lacking the capabilities of modern software. He maintains that councils have multiple options available, including other private companies, and that his product is simply one possibility. “In general,it’s a good thing that there is a process to get everybody to update to some new software that has more capability than Enviromon has,” Logan said.
The situation underscores a growing tension between budgetary constraints, technological modernization, and the critical need for accessible, real-time data in the face of increasingly frequent and severe weather events.
