Flood crisis exposes need to stop a BOM tax on councils
Published on 04 January 2026
As flooding continues to impact large parts of north-west Queensland, the peak body for local government is calling on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to ensure councils are not charged to access critical weather information needed to keep communities safe.
The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) says proposed changes by the Bureau risk imposing what amounts to a new tax on councils at a time when accurate, real-time data is essential for disaster response.
“We’ve seen this past week, with flooding in north-west Queensland, how important it is for councils to have accurate, timely information to work with State and Federal agencies and keep their communities safe,” LGAQ President Mayor Matt Burnett said.
“From July, the Bureau will move to a new software platform that will force councils to purchase their own systems to continue accessing real-time BOM data, with some councils facing bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
LGAQ Chief Executive Officer Alison Smith said councils have traditionally received real-time Bureau data at no cost to support disaster preparedness and response, reflecting the sector’s frontline role in emergency management.
“In Australia’s most disaster-prone state, councils are central to disaster preparedness, response and recovery,” Ms Smith said.
“With a new year underway and flood events already unfolding, we urgently need a change of approach. Councils must not be faced with a BOM tax simply to do their job and keep communities safe.”
The LGAQ has also raised concerns being voiced by councils responding to recent weather events across Queensland.
“This won’t be the only weather event this season, and councils are asking when the $236 million rain gauge program announced in 2023 will be completed, and when the new radar promised for the southwest in 2025 will be established,” Ms Smith said.
As rainfall continues across parts of McKinlay Shire and river levels remain elevated, Mayor Janene Fegan says access to reliable, real-time rainfall and river data remains critical.
“It’s a serious concern that some river monitoring equipment remains non-operational,” Mayor Fegan said.
“Following the 2019 floods, ensuring these systems were functioning should have been a top priority. When they’re not working, communities are left without the vital information they need.”
Meanwhile, Burke Shire Mayor Ernie Camp has questioned why the Leichhardt River was left off the Bureau’s major flood warnings.
“The Leichhardt River is currently in a major flood downstream, yet for days there were no major flood warning or colour-coding on a map to show it as a major flood area,” Mayor Camp said.
“Lives and livelihoods are being affected by this major flooding, but it was not until I raised it that the BOM rectified this and declared a well-overdue warning for both the Leichhardt and Nicholson River catchments on their website.
"This lack of inclusion is another BOM failure, which has impeded recognition of Burke’s situation and needs.
"The catastrophic flood events of 2023 and 2024 still loom large in the minds of people in the Western Gulf catchments, and they become anxious once any rain event starts.
“However, if people are regularly and reliably informed, it can help reduce that anxiety and allow them to be proactive rather than reactive to any potential threat.”
For more information, please contact:
Tim Cox, Senior Communications Advisor
Phone:0436 655 409
Local Government Association of Queensland