Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Yanakie automated weather station

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (19:40): (1653) I will provide the house with an adjournment debate that actually has some relevance. My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Emergency Services. After 13 years of operation, the impending closure of the Yanakie automated weather station, announced by the BOM, is of great concern to the members of my community. Minister, working with the federal government, the Bureau of Meteorology and the South Gippsland Shire Council, I therefore seek your urgent attention to advocate for the continuity of the Yanakie AWS, which is scheduled to shut on 1 July this year, to ensure continuous localised weather data remains available for fire, storm and safety responses. This is not merely the decommissioning of a weather gauge, it is the removal of a critical piece of public infrastructure without any consultation, warning or justification.

Located on the Meeniyan-Promontory Road, one I know very well, the Yanakie AWS is instrumental in delivering real-time weather data to a wide range of stakeholders, including emergency services; the CFA; the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard; and commercial and recreational fishers, who are up in arms and very concerned about this, as are farmers and tourists alike. WillyWeather is one of Australia’s most widely used public weather platforms, and it draws data from this station up to 16,000 times per week. That is 16,000 decisions made each week by Victorians to rely on timely and accurate data, now at risk. The bureau’s decision to shut this station is at best poorly conceived, but the bureaucratic buck passing that has followed is unacceptable.

Minister, the community is aware that this AWS is a federal and local government partnership, and our South Gippsland shire is incredibly supportive of its continuance. This station is not optional, and the consequences of its removal are severe and far reaching. The AWS supports fire behaviour modelling and informed planned burn operations – very important. Without it incident controllers would operate with diminished understanding and forecasts. It provides storm warnings, and this is a key factor. If you have ever been to South Gippsland and indeed the beautiful Wilsons Promontory in the area, you know how windy it is. This BOM device certainly understands the storm weather warnings. In search and rescue operations our coastal conditions can change very rapidly, and this is vital for navigation and weather aid for marine emergency services. Also in agriculture it is certainly important. Our communities want it. It is small change to both federal and state governments, but it is vital. What price do you put on safety? Minister, please advocate for the continuance of this automatic weather device.