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Bureau wins awards in 2011-12

Social > Bureau wins awards in 2011-12

Bureau wins awards in 2011-12

10 May 2012

The Bureau continues to be recognised for excellence in a range of areas. We've recently won major awards for our annual report, weather calendar, forecast and warning system (a commendation for risk management and two eGovernment awards), Geofabric system and our website has been named the best government website.

Accolades for our annual report

The 2010–11 Bureau of Meteorology Annual Report was awarded the overall gold in the recent Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) ACT Branch Annual Report Awards, in the category for agencies covered by the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. The judges commented that ' ... the Bureau's report was a highly accessible, well presented and interesting report.'

In addition, this report was also awarded a silver medal in the 2012 Australasian Reporting Awards, which are open to a broader range of organisations including private companies and local councils.

Left: Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister, Ian Watt; Acting Director of Meteorology, Rob Vertessy; Bureau Executive Assistant, Rosanne Dampf; Head of ACT Public Service, Andrew Cappie-Wood; and Secretariat and Corporate Communications Manager, Tarini Casinader, with the gold award in the Institute of Public Administration Australia 2010–11 Annual Report Awards. Picture: Hilary Wardhaugh Photography.
Right: Bureau representatives Linda Anderson-Berry, Joanne Cameron and Grace Hsu with the silver medal in the 2012 Australasian Reporting Awards.

eGovernment awards in ICT

The Bureau's Next Generation Forecast and Warning System has won the Overall Excellence and the Geospatial category at the Excellence in eGovernment Awards in May 2012. The awards were for a system that generates graphics and icons for our forecasts and warnings, freeing forecasters to focus on their meteorological work.

The Bureau's Deputy Director (Services), Ray Canterford, accepts the Overall Excellence in eGovernment award for the Next Generation Forecast and Warning System from Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation.

We were also shortlisted in the Geospatial category for the Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric (Geofabric). This system identifies the location, spatial characteristics and relationships of streams, water bodies, catchments and underground water. Increasing numbers of government water agencies, industry bodies, research groups and education authorities are using the system.

Geofabric Project Manager Elizabeth McDonald accepts the shortlist award in the Geospatial category for the Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric (Geofabric) project from Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation.

Local and international recognition for our weather calendar

Our 2012 Australian Weather Calendar scored a hat-trick in the International Calendar Awards in Chicago. Beating hundreds of entries from around the world, it won overall 'Best in Show' as well as gold in 'Best Scenic/Other Photography' and 'Best Colour Separation'. The Calendar Marketing Association Awards have showcased some of the best calendars from around the world for more than 20 years.

The calendar was also awarded silver in the Calendars category of the 2011 Victorian Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards. The calendar, now in its 28th year, is produced by the Bureau in association with the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

Australian Weather Calendar team. Mia Schoen, David Morgan, Robbie Kershaw and Mike Rosel with the silver award in the Calendars category of the 2011 Victorian Printing Industries Craftsmanship Awards, April 2012.

Excellence in managing risk

Our Next Generation Forecast and Warning System was highly commended at the Comcover Awards for Excellence in Risk Management in March 2012. These awards recognise exceptional and inspiring leadership in the management of risks faced by Commonwealth Government agencies.

The judging panel recognised that the system improved our ability to manage and inform the community about severe weather events, including severe thunderstorms and flash flooding. These events present a significant risk to the safety of the Australian community.

The award also recognised the risk-based approach taken in managing the introduction of the system to the Bureau's seven regional offices and Melbourne head office.

The Special Minister of State, The Hon Gary Gray AO MP, presents the Comcover award to Bureau representatives, Assistant Director (Services), Alasdair Hainsworth, NexGen project leader, Dr Howard Jacobs, and Risk Management Coordinator, Craig Tigwell.

Best government website

It's official! The Bureau's website was acknowledged as the best government site in Australia at the Amber Awards in September 2011.

With more than 33 billion hits from about 27 million visitors in 2010–11, and handling extreme loads during critical weather events, the site has proven to be highly resilient. When tropical cyclone Yasi passed over Queensland on 2 February 2011, we had 639 million hits from almost 4 million visitors—serving 6.77 terabytes in a single 24-hour period.

Senator the Hon Nick Sherry, Minister for Small Business (centre), presents the Online Government category award to the Bureau's Channel Manager, Richard Denver (left), and Social Media Manager, Shannon McNamara (right).

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