Top BOM Exec Who Oversaw Bungled Website Revamp Set to Leave Role

A significant figure at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, Peter Stone, is departing the agency at the close of June. Dr. Stone held the position of acting CEO during the tumultuous rollout of the BOM's new website, a project that drew considerable public criticism. The agency confirmed his retirement, marking the end of his nearly decade-long tenure. The website's launch was marred by issues, including a poorly received redesign of the rain radar map that obscured place names, leading to a restoration of the previous color scheme and an apology from Dr. Stone. He had indicated that further updates were planned to improve user familiarity and functionality. The project's financial trajectory has been a major point of contention, with the initial reconfiguration cost of $4.1 million escalating dramatically to nearly $96.5 million. This significant cost overrun is largely attributed to the extensive upgrades and testing of back-end systems, including a substantial contract with Accenture that grew considerably from its initial estimate. Despite criticisms, BOM officials have defended the contract extensions, citing the program's unforeseen complexity.

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We will continue to assess options for further updates and improvements at the same time as pushing on with our efforts to help the community become more familiar with the website, " he said at the time.