“Why didn’t they just go to GoDaddy? You can make a website for $30.”
No one had KIIS FM’s Kyle Sandilands pegged as the voice of reason on their 2026 bingo card, yet here we are. The Kyle and Jackie O co-host today summed up the national mood with uncanny precision, giving voice to the collective groan over the Bureau of Meteorology’s expensive and embattled new website.
His timely quip arrived as the BOM pushed out the first major refresh since the site’s troubled October launch, which cost taxpayers a tidy $96.5 million.
BOM responds
This week’s update – originally slated for late November before Tropical Cyclone Fina caused delays – focuses heavily on usability.
“We’ve heard a significant amount of feedback about the new rain radar and weather map,” BOM chief executive Stuart Minchin told the ABC. “We have added a quick link button from the home page, increased the visibility of the map location pin and made it easier to customise the map.”
The refresh also tightens how warnings are displayed, using yellow and grey indicators to show whether alerts are active or have been recently cancelled.
Meanwhile, state and district pages now display clearer high and low temperatures. Earlier tweaks restored detailed fire information after volunteers and residents in high-risk areas raised concerns.
High-stakes overhaul
With an average of two million visits a day, the BOM website remains one of the country’s most heavily trafficked government services – and one of the most scrutinised.
Minchin said user sentiment is guiding the rebuild: “Website development and improvements are guided by user feedback, analysis, user research and business needs. We have an expert and highly dedicated workforce committed to providing the best possible service to the Australian community every day.”
Since the original revamp, the agency has been inundated with more than 400,000 pieces of feedback as Australians tried to navigate the revamped radar, temperature pages and warnings. With almost 70 million visits logged in just a few months, every glitch has been amplified at scale.
Apparently, more updates are planned for the new year. Oh, goodie.