Acknowledgement of Country

The Bureau acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water, sky, and community. We pay respects to Elders past and present, acknowledge and celebrate the unique living cultural knowledge and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as essential to connection, protection and caring of Country.

Message from the Chief Executive Officer

I am delighted to share the Bureau of Meteorology’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2024–2027. This plan outlines our priorities and actions to strengthen the Bureau's diversity and inclusion ambitions and ways of working to amplify our collective strengths and the potential of our unique workforce.

As an agency that plays a critical role in supporting the safety, security and prosperity of all Australians, a diverse and inclusive workplace is vital to our success.

We have made positive progress over recent years to provide a safe, diverse, respectful, flexible, and inclusive work environment by:

• Establishing the Bureau’s First Nations Office in 2024 and transitioning to our next Innovate RAP 2025–27 to strengthen our commitment to reconciliation and outline our focus for the next two years.
• Implementing the Bureau's Enterprise Agreement in 2024 with strong provisions, policies, and consultation practices that consider the needs of our diverse workforce to enable their success, foster a positive inclusive workplace that values difference in all aspects of working with others, and promote employment equity.
• Celebrating our vibrant and diverse workforce through the Bureau's Recognised Days calendar and supporting our Employee Diversity Networks to amplify the voices they represent so their needs are reflected in our policies, programs and action plans.
• Consistently achieving high employee engagement rates and perceptions of inclusion in the APS Census and Culture surveys.

My goal is for us to continue to work together on our shared commitment and priorities, recognising the immense potential of creating conditions that unlock the strengths, ideas, skills, and lived experiences of every Bureau employee. This will enable us to design and deliver services successfully in partnership, benefiting all Bureau staff, the organisation as a whole, and the communities we serve.

Everyone has a role to play in delivering the action plan, and it requires a commitment at all levels and at all locations if we are to enhance inclusion and increase the diversity of our workforce in line with the communities we serve.

Enhanced governance and delivery partnerships will promote our commitment and coordinate diversity and inclusion initiatives across the organisation. The action plan also seeks to empower leaders to make informed decisions about their team's strengths and gaps, and encourage regular reflection and incremental improvements to our practices.

I ask everyone in the Bureau to reflect on why diversity is important to your success, read the action plan, agree on goals based on unique individual and team needs, and then make a start.

Let's keep working hard to strengthen the positive experiences of inclusion for our diverse workforce, contributing to our organisation's ongoing success.

Dr Andrew Johnson PSM FTSE FAICD
CEO and Director of Meteorology