Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

May I thank all of the speakers who have contributed to this debate. May I particularly acknowledge the work of the parliamentary counsel and the departmental officers as well as my own staff and, most especially, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Senator Birmingham.

Recently, during the federal budget process, we were successful in securing for the Bureau of Meteorology funding support for a new super computer. The public might rightly ask what the purpose of this is. It massively expands the capacity of the bureau to deliver early warnings in the case of floods, fires, cyclones—the events which have been such a part of Australia's lived experience over the last thousands and thousands of years but events which will continue, on all the advice we have received from our own scientific agency, to be at risk of worsening either in frequency or intensity.

Against that background, this bill attempts to provide the Bureau of Meteorology with additional resources. It does so by tapping the public's desire to engage with the Bureau of Meteorology. It boosts the capacity of the Bureau of Meteorology and it boosts the capacity of the public to engage with the bureau.

In particular, the Bureau of Meteorology's website is one of Australia's most popular websites. It has over 470 million visits a year, and that continues to grow dramatically each year. It is a website trusted by Australians. It provides vital information to Australians on a daily basis, as I said at the start. Whether it is in relation to weather forecasts or warnings or assisting industries whose operations are reliant on, or impacted by, weather, it is a website that is used by a large proportion of Australians at some time, as they go about their daily business.

I am certain that for rural communities, the boating community, the transport and aviation community, holiday makers and those who are involved in weather dependent industries, the Bureau of Meteorology website is an almost daily source of vital information. Against that background the bureau and its brand are of paramount importance. The maintenance of high-quality services is essential to the bureau and to the government. That is why we have invested in a super computer. That is why we are also taking steps to introduce the Meteorology Amendment (Online Advertising) Bill 2014—this bill—to amend the Meteorology Act 1955.

The government wants to provide certainty to ensure the Director of Meteorology's powers include advertising in connection with the Bureau of Meteorology services, and determine the types of advertising that the bureau displays. This particular bill ensures that the director has the power to prohibit advertising considered to be not in the Commonwealth's or the bureau's interests—advertising of things such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, violence, weapons and advertising that has a sexual content as examples.

The bill ensures that any challenges from companies who wish to advertise wares that are not in line with the bureau's standards and the national interest are void. This bill will also remove any doubt and make it explicitly clear that the BoM can accept paid advertising. This allows the bureau to further diversify its sources of funding as was set out in the Munro review—as has been the consistent goal of governments of both persuasions. The bill therefore requires the Director of Meteorology to develop and publish guidelines on the types of advertising that the bureau will display. I am happy to guarantee that we will consult with members of this House, as has been requested by some during the course of this debate.

The parliamentary secretary, I am certain—I will speak to him to this effect—will so do. The Meteorology Amendment (Online Advertising) Bill 2014, amends the Meteorology Act. It will ensure that the bureau can act with surety in the decisions made in relation to advertising on its web site without compromising its standards or its services. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 16:4

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