Changes to information provided by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) have caused a storm throughout Queensland but, according to Member for Burdekin, Dale Last MP, concerns raised by residents of the Burdekin centre on flooding rather than rain.

Coupled with a malfunctioning river level gauge during the severe weather event earlier this year, Mr Last said people’s concerns were justified and had been echoed in the state government’s call for the Bureau to ‘do the right thing’.

“We all like to have a joke at the expense of the weather bureau when it comes to their predictions being inaccurate,” Mr Last said.  “But holding vital information for ransom is no joke and, frankly, could put lives at risk.”

“Whether it’s the Burdekin River or the Haughton or any other river, the level of those rivers triggers a response from locals right through to the Local Disaster Management Group and volunteers like the SES.  By charging councils to access vital information, you basically have a taxpayer-funded organisation trying to generate another income stream at the expense of either ratepayers or safety.”

“Accurate, timely information is what is used to make decisions around evacuations, road closures and a long list of preparations throughout the community.  To make access to that information only accessible by paying up to $40,000 a year is preposterous, and I know that the Premier, for example, has made that point directly with the federal minister responsible for the BOM.”

Mr Last also called out the BOM based on what he described as an unforgivable oversight in the lead up to the last wet season.

“There is a long list of issues that the BOM and the federal government should be focussed on,” he said.  “Their primary goal should be to ensure that the data they provide is reliable because, as we saw earlier this year, that is not always the case.”

“A lot of money, time, energy, and goodwill goes into encouraging Queenslanders to prepare for the threat posed by cyclones and flooding.  I think it is fair to say that we are extremely lucky that the Burdekin River gauge malfunction resulted in people being more prepared than necessary.”

“The fact is that the malfunction caused quite a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety, especially in Home Hill.  Staring down a potential flood is stressful enough and, when incorrect information is provided by the BOM, for example, you have the potential for people to lose confidence in the advice that is provided during future events.”

“The state government has no intention of letting the Bureau of Meteorology off the hook when it comes to taking responsibility for their role in protecting Queenslanders from wild weather.  Here in the Burdekin, that responsibility also means ensuring that the equipment that emergency services and the community rely on is working properly before nature puts it to the test.”

“The BOM’s focus needs to be on reliability and helping to protect Australians, not holding communities and councils to ransom in the name of generating revenue.”