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Weather Bureau to cut regional staff

Tuesday October 21, 2008 - 09:15 EDT

The Bureau of Meteorology is planning to reduce staff at 50 regional weather stations throughout Australia, including Mt Gambier, Ceduna and Woomera.

The Community and Public Sector Union says the budget cuts are due to be phased in over the next three years.

Union president Louise Persse says staff are shocked and are concerned the cuts will damage the Bureau's ability to provide accurate local weather forecasts.

"Our members are very alarmed by this proposal on behalf of the Bureau, and see it as based on long-term cuts over a long period," she said.

"There have been issues about funding through the tenure of the Howard Government and there has been a further cut to the Bureau's funding this year."

The Bureau of Meteorology has denied union criticisms that the staff cuts will affect the quality of weather forecasts in its regional stations.

The Bureau's state regional director, Andrew Watson, says the centres will also be getting a series of equipment upgrades which will improve forecasting.

"The plan is through the combination of staff at the field offices and this improved instrumentation, state-of-the-art instrumentation, we should actually get a better service from the Bureau," he said.

- ABC

© ABC 2008