Australia will develop a nationally consistent bushfire modelling and prediction capability under an agreement announced between CSIRO, AFAC and the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services.

The partnership involves the development of Spark Operational, a cutting-edge bushfire simulation tool based on CSIRO’s ‘Spark’ fire prediction platform.

Fire and emergency services agencies across Australia will be able to use Spark Operational, opening bushfire prediction opportunities across borders and over different landscapes.

CSIRO’s Spark platform combines current fire behaviour knowledge with state-of-the-art simulation science to produce predictions, statistics and visualisations of bushfire spread, as well as simulating hours of fire spread across a landscape in a matter of seconds.

AFAC’s Fire Prediction Services Group will work with CSIRO to improve existing technology and build a national system that allows for consistent bushfire predictions to support emergency service and response teams across borders.

Phase one of the technology’s implementation commenced January 2021, with further developments over the next three years.

CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall said the innovation built on decades of expertise. “Our solutions from science have protected Australians from the threat of bushfires for over 70 years, from roadside fire danger signs to advanced burn over protection materials,” Dr Marshall said.

“But 2020 changed the game forever. So, we have changed our game too, by unleashing new science and technology to protect our firefighters and Australian communities.

“We believe this advanced system will help firefighters outthink fire, to anticipate its actions, and to get ahead of it, so they can beat it.”

O Tama Carey from Sydney will return as Creative Director.

Grazing Down the Lachlan will draw upon the gold rush era for inspiration for this year’s menu, with renowned Sydney chef O Tama Carey returning as Creative Director. While the menu is kept secret until the day, the theme provides ‘Grazers’ with a little insight into what to expect.

“During the gold rushes of 1850s and 60s, thousands of Chinese-born people migrated to the region. With them, they brought their cuisine”, O Tama said.

“The dishes will incorporate ideas of Chinese dishes found in regional restaurants of Australia with touches of native ingredients and flavours. Our ingredients and produce will again be sourced locally.”

Following a hiatus in 2020, the multi-award winning foodie adventure returns to Forbes on Saturday 18 September 2021. The epic long lunch is set alongside the picturesque Lachlan River. ‘Grazers’ are free to wander along the designated corridor of the nine-mile reserve between six stations offering delicious food with a matched beverage.

Chair of the Grazing Down the Lachlan committee, Wendy Muffet said, “This year we’re excited to explore cultural diversity in the wake of the first gold rush in partner ship with our major sponsor Evolution Mining – an extraordinary synergy. Events like Grazing are so important for regional communities, showcasing and celebrating local culture and history, while boosting local economies.”

To ensure the Grazing committee can deliver a COVIDSafe event, ticket numbers have been capped at 500.

“The health and safety of our community and visitors is first priority,” Wendy added.

“While we have limited numbers to the main event, we will be hosting some supporting events on the Friday and Sunday to extend the Grazing weekend. We are so looking forward to sharing the details of those supporting events when we launch the full 2021 program in the coming weeks.”

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils will be hosting another online workshop for parents and other supervisors of local learner drivers, full of practical advice and information about completing the 120 hours of supervised driving.

The free ‘Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers’ workshop is scheduled for Wednesday 24 February from 6pm.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said the online delivery will hopefully make it more easily accessible for participants to attend.

“We have held three of these online workshops during the second half of 2020 and had a great response. Parents and supervisors of learner drivers have a crucial role to play in making our roads safer. That is why we have teamed up with Transport for NSW and the Councils across the Western Region to hold another one of these workshops via Zoom,” Ms Suitor said.

Participants can attend from the comfort of their own home. The estimated run time is 1 hour and 15 minutes. The workshop covers the licencing system, how to use the Learner Driver Logbook including the use of digital logbooks, licence conditions for learner and P-plate drivers, the benefits of on-road driving sessions, tips on supervising a learner driver and more.

“Parents and supervisors who have attended this workshop in the past have found that it boosted their confidence, helped them better plan driving sessions and allowed them to share their experiences with other parents and supervisors,” Ms Suitor said.

Bookings are essential and can be made online via Eventbrite, through Councils’ Facebook page or by calling Ms Suitor on (02) 6861 2364. For further information please call Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, on (02) 6861 2364.

Kate Ceberano will be performing at Bathurst’s Inland Sea of Sound Festival in a couple of weeks.

The Inland Sea of Sound Festival will take the form of an intimate series of concerts in the centre of Bathurst. Indoor and outdoor concerts featuring guest headliners and our finest local musicians.

The festival kicks off on Tuesday, 23 February with a free but ticketed screening of Soda Jerk’s Terror Nullius in association with Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

The live concerts commence on Wednesday, 24 February in the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC) with Sub-Tribe, a dynamic six piece band from New Zealand. Sub-Tribe will be supported by The Safety of Life at Sea and The Mirandas.

On Thursday, 25 February, the festival moves outdoors, featuring Hussy Hicks lead by Powerhouse Soul vocalist Leesa Gentz and Julz Parker, who is Australia’s leading female guitarist. Hussy Hicks will be supported by local favourites Smith & Jones.

On Friday the events are back at BMEC, where guests will be seduced by the vocal prowess of Kate Ceberano accompanied by guitarist Ben Butler, who has returned from the USA where he performed with Sting and Bruce Springsteen. Local support is singer songwriter Andy Nelson with his amazing, new five piece band.

On Saturday we are outdoors with Headliner C.W. Stoneking, a musical, blues story teller, who is one of a kind. C.W. will be supported by the incomparable Mo’Ju, winner of best song and best album at the 2018 National Indigenous Music Awards.

On Sunday at 2pm in the BMEC theatre, we present kids favourites The Beanies in a free show for families: The Beanies Egg-straordinary Day.

Tickets can be found at https://www.inlandseaofsound.com.au/tickets/ticket-information. You can also pre-order a delicious picnic box for the outdoor and BMEC events.

Forbes Shire Council is currently undertaking improvements and widening of West Plains Road to the south west of Forbes. The Forbes Shire Mayor wants the community to know Council is working hard on their core responsibilities and road maintenance is a responsibility that they take very seriously.

“Council has listened to the concerns of landholders regarding the efficiency and safety of transporting produce from this part of the shire and we are actively seeking support to undertake these improvement projects,” says Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM. “We understand very clearly that we are an agricultural shire and the contribution that agriculture makes to our local economy. This project will ensure that produce is able to be moved from the south western parts of the shire to key freight arteries, such as the Newell, reducing delays for primary producers and keeping people safe on these roads.”

This project will also improve safety outcomes for members of the public using these roads in conjunction with large heavy vehicles, including employees of Evolution Mining travelling to site.

“We really appreciate the NSW Government and Evolution Mining for helping us fund this improvement. In fact, we hope we can undertake more work like this in the future.

“Council is using our own professional staff who have much experience in this type of project, as well as local contractors and local suppliers, so there are many benefits within the community,” continued Phyllis. “This is a significant Council investment of $1.5 Million and it is great to know it is contributing to the local economy.”

The project is expected to take three months to complete, depending on weather conditions. Motorists are advised to drive carefully when in the area and follow caution signs.

Author Lian Tanner visited Forbes Library to read Ella and the Ocean to a lucky group of children from Forbes Learning Ladder.

The first Wednesday of February marks World Read Aloud Day, and by a happy coincidence the Forbes Library was able to participate by sharing a special Storytime with a visiting children’s author named Lian Tanner. Lian gave a wonderfully entertaining reading of her recently published book titled, Ella and the Ocean, which she enlivened with cheery songs and finger puppets to an eager audience, amongst whom was a very well-behaved group of children from the Forbes Learning Ladder.

Ella and the Ocean, written by Lian Tanner, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley and Published by Allen & Unwin, is a simple and moving story about renewal and rejuvenation, about drought and life on the land, about travel and new horizons, and about family, and the relationship between Ella and her grandmother. Lian Tanner’s writing is beautiful and spare and poetic, but at the same time is warm, easy, and relatable for kids.

Ella and the Ocean was named Winner of the 2020 Patricia Wrightson Prize, NSW Premier’s Award For Children’s Literature.

Lian Tanner has been dynamited while scuba diving and arrested while busking. She once spent a week in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, hunting for a Japanese soldier left over from the Second World War. She likes secrets, old bones, and animals that are not what they seem. Nowadays she lives by the beach in southern Tasmania with a large fluffy tomcat called Harry-le-beau. She is the author of the internationally bestselling The Keepers series, The Rogues and The Hidden. This is her first picture book.