A senior Bureau of Meteorology figure linked to last year’s controversial $96m website overhaul has resigned.
Peter Stone, the agency’s chief customer officer and former acting chief executive, is expected to depart early next year after finishing active duties at the end of June and taking extended leave, Crikey reported on Tuesday.
His exit follows widespread backlash over the bureau’s website redesign, which launched during severe storms across Australia’s southeast and left many regular users struggling to access key information.
Farmers and fishermen were among those who reported difficulty navigating the site during the wild weather.
In the days after the rollout, Dr Stone issued a mea culpa but stopped short of conceding a mistake had been made, instead stating it would “take time for some to adjust” to the changes.
Shortly after the update, Dr Stuart Minchin stepped into the top role as head of the agency.
According to the government’s transparency portal, Dr Stone received total annual remuneration of $395,585 under the position title of group executive.
BOM leaders are scheduled to appear before senate budget estimates for a grilling next Monday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has been contacted for comment.
Originally published as Bureau of Meteorology executive Peter Stone resigns after controversial website redesign backlash
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