Federal MP Anne Webster says councils are facing a new financial hit, with the Bureau of Meteorology set to stop supporting free software that gives real-time rainfall.
The Member for Mallee says councils have relied on the bureau’s system to monitor floods and issue timely warnings to residents.
She says many councils are already under financial strain and are now being told to find money for the software that the bureau used to provide for free.
For almost 30 years, councils, especially in Queensland, have relied on the BOM’s Enviromon system at no cost to monitor floods and issue timely warnings to residents. From mid-2026, the BOM will no longer provide support or updates for the program, forcing councils to pay for expensive commercial alternatives or build their own systems.
“Many councils – particularly in rural and remote areas – are already grappling with severe financial strain, tight budgets and limited resources. Now they’re being told to find tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for software that the BOM used to provide for free” the local member said.
Nationals Senator for New South Wales and Shadow Minister for Emergency Management Ross Cadell, described the move as an example of “bureaucratic cost shifting with potentially deadly consequences.”
“During times of crisis, access to real time data shouldn’t be a case of those who can afford and those who can’t.
Dr Webster called on the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Emergency Management to urgently intervene and ensure no council is left worse off.
