BoM station candidate for automation

Albany's meteorological office could soon become automated for the first time in more than 50 years, pending the outcome of a national review.

The Bureau of Meteorology is reviewing operations at more than 25 field offices across Australia to assess if they could become automatic weather stations.

Albany's $3.95million BoM office was opened in March 2012 and is staffed by manager Jason Balhorn and duty observer Jenny Feast.

The upgraded facility replaced an office at Albany Regional Airport which was built in 1963.

BoM WA regional director Mike Bergin said the bureau's observation program was continually reviewed and updated.

"The review of the make-up of our observation network is something that evolves all the time," he said.

"This is more of a strategic look at whether we need to maintain field stations around the country and what the staffing requirements will be at the stations.

"Observations have been gradually becoming more and more automated over the years."

Mr Bergin said "vastly" more data could be collected by remote-controlled methods, which removed human error and provided an enhanced service.

"Albany is largely automated now … and runs through the night when our staff are not there," he said.

Mr Bergin said Mr Balhorn and Ms Feast would be "redeployed" rather than sacked if the Albany office became automated.

Mr Balhorn has worked at the Albany office for 17 years, while Ms Feast has spent the past two years in Albany but more than seven years with the bureau.

"Our intention is to keep people like Jason and Jen, who have got a good number of years ahead of them as far as we are concerned," he said.

"Their positions would be declared redundant but we aim to redeploy them to other parts of the network."

Mr Bergin said the review started about 18 months ago and anticipated its outcomes would be finalised within the next month or so.

Albany is largely automated now. Mike Bergin