The Bureau of Meteorology’s wave buoy off Cape du Couedic, south-west of Kangaroo Island, is expected to return to the water this week after its latest outage. The bureau said replacement parts had been procured and repairs and redeployment were planned, subject to safe weather conditions.
The buoy stopped transmitting on May 30 during stormy weather and has been out of service for nearly four months. A BOM spokesperson said a lightning strike likely damaged the equipment, adding that the location experiences significant weather extremes that can affect both the buoy and the safety of retrieval and maintenance work.
The equipment has suffered three outages since August 2024, including an earlier breakdown that lasted nine months. Its problems began when it started transmitting erroneous data and was taken offline in September. A global shortage of specialist mooring equipment delayed its return, according to the bureau.
About five months later, a mooring failure caused the buoy to break free and wash ashore on Kangaroo Island, leaving it out of service for another six weeks. The bureau said the current problem was different and that it had prioritised retrieving, assessing and reinstating the device.
When operational, the buoy provides real-time and historical information on significant and maximum wave heights, wave periods and swell direction. Its data is used by commercial and recreational fishers, surfers and divers, and is considered critical by professional abalone divers. It is the only wave buoy operated by the bureau in South Australia.
The ABC reported that the bureau had not disclosed how much had been spent repairing the buoy since August 2024. Federal opposition environment spokesperson David Nouri called for a permanent solution, questioned the bureau’s priorities and said South Australians should be told the repair costs and why a lasting fix had not been delivered. The office of Environment Minister Murray Watt referred inquiries to the bureau.