Victorian Opera is staging Mansfield Park, an intimate chamber opera adapted from a Jane Austen novel, at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat early next month.

Published in 1814, Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park tells the story of Fanny Price who, as a girl, was sent from her impoverished family to live with her wealthy relatives in their opulent manor.

As a young woman of marrying age, Fanny must navigate her new social environment, including the romantic entanglements and moral dilemmas of her cousins. 

Jonathan Dove’s musical adaptation of Mansfield Park invites guests to be a fly on the wall in Jane Austen’s world of family drama, marriage negotiations, class and flirtation.  

Featuring some of Australia’s finest performers, next month’s production features two performances at her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat on April 4 and April 5.

More details can be found through the venue’s website.

Words: Eve Lamb. Image: File

The work of Victorian community historians is being highlighted with a shortlist of contenders in the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards revealed last week.

Victoria’s Minister for Government Services Natalie Hutchins has announced 39 history publications and projects have been shortlisted across 11 prize categories including the Victorian Premier’s History Award.

Each nominee has shared the history of Victoria, including maritime and war histories, women’s histories, local stories and Indigenous history. 

Biographies and oral histories are among the shortlisted projects, including a book on the life of the father of Australia’s pop music industry Jack O’Hagan, and a 15-part podcast series sharing the stories of the Melbourne women activists who opposed the Vietnam War and National Service Act from 1965-1972. 

The first ever book on Australian trans history, exploring the lives of trans and gender-diverse Australians – Transgender Australia: A History Since 1910 by Noah Riseman has also been shortlisted. 

Sports historian Graeme Pilkington was shortlisted for his article ‘Australian Rules football is unique among world professional sports in that it rewards a near miss’ – on the nineteenth-century evolution of the AFL behind – . 

All shortlisted nominees are up for prizes ranging from $500 to $2,000 – with one to be named the winner of the $5,000 Victorian Premier’s History Award. 

The Victorian Community History Awards are presented by the Public Record Office Victoria in partnership with the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and supported by the state government. 

A full list of nominees is available at: prov.vic.gov.au

Government Services Natalie Hutchins: “Victoria has a strong history and these dedicated storytellers have worked tirelessly to help all Victorians better understand our past – I congratulate them on their nomination.”

Public Record Office Victoria Director and Keeper of Public Records: “By sharing historical books, articles, oral histories, exhibitions and creative projects, these nominees help us all to better understand our past. I thank our nominees for their contribution to Victoria’s history.” 

Royal Historical Society of Victoria President Richard Broome AM: “We look forward to celebrating these shortlisted nominees at the Victorian Community History Awards ceremony at the end of March and announcing our major prize winners.”

This story based on a state government media release. Image: Supplied

Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) largest cohort of new Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics have hit the road in recent days.

The 30 paramedics recently completed the MICA Bridging Program and now start on-road training alongside qualified MICA paramedics.

AV Director Operational Capability Trevor Weston said the MICA interns were a significant boost for critical care across the state.

“This group continues to help us meet the needs of the growing Victorian community,” he said.

“They demonstrate the exceptional skill of AV’s workforce and will make an enormous contribution to our delivery of best care to all patients.”

MICA paramedics have an expanded clinical skill set and can perform high-level medical procedures including advanced airway management, administer intraosseous (into bone) medication and provide greater management of cardiac and traumatic conditions.

From last Monday (March 3) 25 of the interns will be based in metropolitan Melbourne and five in regional Victoria, including branches in Campbellfield, Rosebud, Frankston, Hampton Park, Tarneit, Ravenhall, Ringwood East, Bundoora, Ballarat, Geelong and Morwell.

Paramedics Meg Place and Daniel Allwood are among the new cohort.

Meg originally joined AV in 2012 as an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO) in Timboon.

She has since worked as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic at various branches in Barwon South West, including Belmont, Portland, Lara and Norlane, and as a clinical instructor and on an ambulance response unit.

Meg said she’s looking forward to applying her intensive care skills in the Geelong area.

“While it has been a steep learning curve, I’ve found the bridging program rewarding and feel excited and prepared to go in-field,” she said.

“I always aspired to become a MICA paramedic and after being around my Geelong MICA mentors, I knew it’s what I wanted. Their leadership, the way they conduct themselves and their advanced clinical knowledge was inspirational.”

Daniel worked at the London Ambulance Service for three years as a qualified paramedic and single response paramedic before returning to Australia and working as a registered nurse.

Since joining AV, he has worked at the Lilydale branch as an ALS paramedic and clinical instructor and on an ambulance response unit.

Daniel said the MICA Bridging Program was a “fantastic professional challenge”.

“I consider myself lucky to be part of such a motivated and talented cohort of MICA interns that have supported each other through the initial stages of our intensive care career,” he said.

“I am proud and excited to join the incredible team in Ringwood and provide care to the wider community I grew up in.”

The MICA Bridging Program covers a range of clinical areas including respiratory, cardiac, trauma, medical, paediatric and obstetrics.

“Our MICA paramedics have a reputation as being among the best in the world and, therefore, our MICA Interns have access to the best training facilities and expertise,” Trevor said.

“We congratulate this cohort on their achievements to date and wish them all the best for this next stage in their AV career.”

Another 24 ALS paramedics will commence the MICA Bridging Program this year, totalling 54 new MICA paramedics on-road in 2025.

Enrolment into the AV MICA Bridging Program occurs after successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Specialist Paramedic Practice at Monash University or an equivalent qualification.

This story based on an Ambulance Victoria media release. Images: Ambulance Victoria

Construction of EnergyAustralia’s 350 megawatt (MW) four-hour Wooreen Battery to store renewable energy has begun at the old Jeeralang Power Station site in Victoria’s Hazelwood North.

The battery will store enough energy to power 230,000 homes over a four-hour period before needing to be recharged.

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio late last week announced the start of the project that will generate 80 jobs during construction, with the battery to be complete and ready to start charging up the grid with cheap renewable energy in 2027. 

For every gigawatt of battery storage built, three gigawatts of new renewable energy can come online, delivering more cheap electricity into the grid and reduce power prices. 

The Wooreen Battery is part of the state government’s Structured Transition Agreement (STAs) with EnergyAustralia – helping workers and industry prepare for the closure of Yallourn in 2028.

The STAs will focus on helping workers retrain, reskill, and find new opportunities, which includes a tailored worker and supply chain transition programs, a worker transfer scheme. Expansion of training and apprenticeship programs is also aimed at creating a new supply of skilled workers.

Victoria is becoming home to big batteries with 12 currently operational, with another 13 under construction or undergoing commissioning, pushing the state towards meeting the first renewable energy storage target of at least 2 gigawatts by 2030. 

The Wooreen Battery has been made possible through financial backing from the Albanese Labor Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme which ensures developers will build enough cheap, clean, renewable energy and storage to replace ageing coal fired generators as they retire.

Victoria is on track to deliver 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035.

As more large amounts of solar and wind come online, large-scale storage has been identified as key to storing renewable energy from these new projects to further drive down bills for Victorians.

Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio: “The Wooreen Battery will help the Latrobe Valley continue to be the state’s energy generation powerhouse and allow for more renewable projects to be built in the area.” 

“We’re making sure our new renewable energy projects continue to drive down bills for Victorian households and create jobs in the regional communities that host them.”

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen: “It doesn’t always rain but we can drink water every day because we store it. In the same way, batteries will store the huge amount of clean, cheap, renewable energy that Australia can generate from its world beating sun and wind resources.”

“Switching to clean reliable renewable energy isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for power bills, and it’s great for good, secure jobs.

“It’s why Labor is supporting the delivery of more of the cheapest form of energy this decade, rather than waiting twenty years for a nuclear scheme that will cost taxpayers $600 billion, push up bills and flood our atmosphere will billions of tonnes more in emissions.” 

This story based on a state government media announcement. Image: Supplied

A new Visitor Information Centre officially opened in Ballarat today.

Complementing the existing Visitor Information Centre at Ballarat Town Hall, the new info centre is located in the Robert Clarke Centre, opposite the conservatory within the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

It will be open 11am-3pm, seven days a week and officially opened today, Saturday 8 March, to coincide with the Ballarat Begonia Festival.

The centre will be staffed by a combination of City of Ballarat staff and volunteers, and will be a Victorian Tourism Industry accredited ancillary and accessible centre. 

A Made of: Ballarat shop, which will be located within the centre, will showcase local artisans and producers from within the region. 

Additional visitor facilities will include free visitor parking, including caravan or large vehicle spaces, public toilets, free Wi-Fi, and PowerPoints for charging devices. It will also be a pet-friendly site.

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the new Botanical Gardens Information Centre will provide both visitors to Ballarat and residents with another place to learn about local attractions, restaurants, events and accommodation to encourage them to explore the city.

“The Ballarat Botanical Gardens is already a popular spot for both visitors and tourists alike, seeing more than half a million visitors annually — by locating a new Visitor Information Centre in the gardens, we will be providing a fantastic service for people in a location they already love,” Cr Hargreaves said. 

“We also know that around a third of visitors to the region are visiting friends and family.

“By also having a Visitor Information Centre in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, it will allow residents to bring their visitors to the area and receive personalised recommendations about what to do during their stay.”

This story based on a City of Ballarat media release. Image: Supplied

The state government is boosting train frequency on the Ballarat, Ararat, Warrnambool and Bendigo lines with 50 new or extended weekend services.

Premier Jacinta Allan joined Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams in Ballarat late last week to announce a new V/Line timetable that will make weekend shopping, dining and trips to the footy easier for passengers on some of Victoria’s busiest regional train lines.

From April 13 Ballarat Line passengers will benefit from 33 extra services, with trains running every 40 minutes on weekends between 8:00am and 9:00pm for the first time.

Most weekend bus services that connect to trains on the Ballarat Line will also now run every 40 minutes – a significant boost to the frequency of bus services.

On the Ararat Line, two new return services will be added on Saturdays and Sundays, including a 9:15pm Saturday service from Southern Cross to get passengers home from AFL twilight matches or an evening in Melbourne.

Five new weekend services will be added to the Bendigo Line, including late-night trains from Melbourne to Bendigo enabling passengers to enjoy the city nightlife.

Five popular weekend services on the Bendigo Line will also be expanded from three to six-carriage VLocity trains, meaning more capacity across the weekend for locals and visitors.

From April 14, there will be four extra weekend services on the Warrnambool Line – with new return services on Saturdays and Sundays adding to the extra services rolled out late last year.

This means Warrnambool passengers will have five daily weekend return services, with the line more popular following the earlier introduction of the regional fare cap.

For the first time, passengers on the Warrnambool Line will also have access to VLocity trains on all weekend and weekday services.

Two Geelong Line trains will also be extended through to Waurn Ponds Station every weekday morning, giving passengers in Waurn Ponds more travel options.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan: “We made regional travel more affordable for Victorian families through the regional fare cap and now we’re delivering more services to four regional rail lines.”

Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams: “More regional Victorians are choosing to take public transport than ever before thanks to our cheaper fares policy – so we’re catering to this extra demand with more trains, more often.”

This story based on state government and V/Line announcements

Tahnee Stevenson grew up playing soccer but, unfortunately, her young sporting career was marred by several injuries.

The setbacks put Tahnee on a path towards paramedicine and, late last year, that dream was realised when she commenced her new role with Ambulance Victoria (AV) as a Graduate Bridging Paramedic (GBP).

“I was a very active kid which led to a lot of injuries, and along with that, as a child I wasn’t always well,” Tahnee said.

“It meant I experienced a fair bit of time in the back of an ambulance.

“It was always a very daunting thing to have an ambulance turn up to take you away and off to hospital, but I always looked up to the paramedics.”

Tahnee said these interactions with paramedics showed her the real impact first responders have on their patients.

“I learned that the experience paramedics give to a patient changes a lot about their thoughts and processes,” Tahnee said.

“That first interaction with a patient really impacts how they feel, how comfortable they are and how likely they are to re-engage with the health system when necessary.

“Being able to provide a good first experience for people was something that I realised would give me a lot of satisfaction and felt very important to me, so I started thinking about a career as a paramedic.”

While completing her paramedicine degree, Tahnee first joined AV as an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO) in Inglewood.

ACOs are First Responders trained to provide advanced first aid and are employed on a casual basis to work on-call in rural and remote communities.

Tahnee is now undertaking AV’s GBP program, which is designed to provide paramedicine graduates with the opportunity to consolidate their theoretical knowledge and skills while initially working in the medium acuity ambulance care setting.

The 16-month program sees GBPs spend six months working and completing learning tasks under direct supervision in the Medium Acuity Transport Service (MATS), before transitioning to an emergency ambulance.

“Coming out of university, the work has been different to what I was expecting because when you’re studying, the focus is often about the worst-case scenario,” Tahnee said.

“But in reality, not every job goes to the emergency department or requires massive interventions – it’s often about providing reassurance, support and education to our patients.

“Being an ACO before my graduate program has definitely made the transition a lot easier, given the fact I was already familiar with a lot of AV’s processes and my scope as an ACO was very similar to what I’m doing now.”

Tahnee is based at AV’s Eaglehawk branch in Bendigo and is set to move to Swan Hill for the second portion of her graduate program from mid-2025.

“It’s really cool to work within a regional community and realise how important and respected our job is,” she said.

“When we’re called out, it’s not just another person, it’s a member of the community, and you might then see them at your local coffee shop a few weeks later and you’re able to have a conversation about how they’re going.”

Looking forward, Tahnee’s sole focus is to continue providing the best experience she can for her patients.

“One of the highlights for me is being able to engage with patients from all walks of life, such as people who live in regional cities or rural towns, or I’ve had patients ranging in age from 20 days to 105 years,” Tahnee said.

“I’ve learned that communication is everything – to me, trying to build rapport with our patients is the most important part of our job because it can really change people’s experience with AV.

“It’s about being able to help all these different people in the community and make them feel safer and more comfortable, and then it might not be the worst day in the world for them.”

Words & Image: Supplied, Ambulance Victoria

Women’s sport is continuing to kick goals in Victoria with a new report released by the state government showing more people are watching women’s sports with media coverage increasing by one third in just a year.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence last Friday released the second The Conversation of Sport report, which examined almost 40,000 sports news stories in Victoria from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.

The research found that 20 per cent of sports news coverage last year reported on women’s sport – an uplift from 15 per cent in the previous year. While this is an impressive increase there is still more work to be done to get it closer to an even share.

The record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 was just the start of the change. During the period of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, almost one in three sports news stories in Victoria was about women’s sport, with one in five dedicated to women’s football.

The report also showed that female journalists have contributed a greater portion of news stories over the last year – with 34 per cent of the bylines compared to 27 per cent the year before.

The research demonstrates the importance of initiatives like the Change Our Game Women in Sports Media Program, which is helping women to progress their careers in sports media, and has so far helped more than 100 women since 2020.

To find out more about The Conversation of Sport report, visit changeourgame.vic.gov.au.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence: “Now, more than ever, we must celebrate Australian women in sport and elevate their success – they show our future female athletes what is possible and inspire them to ignore the unhelpful and negative voices around them.”

“Through programs like Change Our Game we’re making a real difference, breaking down stereotypes and getting more women involved in sport at every level – but the research shows there is more work to be done.”

This story based on a state government media release

An audio-visual exhibition exploring passions and possibilities for the Wombat Forest begins at Daylesford Museum this Saturday.

Framings of Wombat Forest is an audio-visual exhibition that also explores visions and tensions associated with the local and much-loved tract of forest.

From skink ecologists to bike riders, activists to cultural fire practitioners, the exhibition presents 11 photographic and audio “portraits”, each offering a unique frame through which to consider the Wombat. 

Creators of this exhibition say they are “seeking to present different perspectives in proximity without attempting to draw conclusions as to the right way forward”.

“Rather, we invite you to spend time with the intimacy of each person’s framing of the forest, honouring the diversity of community and leaning into the exquisite messiness of what it means to feel connection to place in a changing world.”

Those planning to check it our are advised to bring along a device and headphones to make the most of the exhibition which is being supported by the Hepburn Shire Council.

On 24 June 2021, the Victorian state government, following an extensive review and recommendation process, declerated that the Wombat State Forest would be added to the National Park register, providing it with additional protections.

Located between Woodend and Daylesford and covering approximately 70,000 hectares, the Wombat State Forest extends along both sides of the Dividing Range. 

The Forest contains a diverse range of native plants and animals, including a number that are listed as rare or threatened, such as the Powerful Owl and the Wombat Bush Pea.

As well as these natural values, the Forest is a significant water catchment area, and contains the headwaters of the Lerderderg, Moorabool, Coliban, Campaspe and Loddon rivers.

A notable feature of Wombat State Forest is the extent of mineral springs which account for over 80% of Australia’s mineral springs. The mineral waters are rich in calcium, silica, magnesium, iron and sulphur. 

• Exhibition: March 8-21 daily 10 am – 2 pm
• Opening event: Saturday March 15, 11 am
• Daylesford Museum, 100 Vincent Street, Daylesford.

Singing sensation Marcia Hines gave a preview of her ChillOut show to Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health’s Country LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Program’s Birds of a Feather members on Friday afternoon at Victoria Park.

Birds of a Feather gatherings are held every three months at venues across the Macedon Ranges and Central Victoria. The events, usually held over lunchtime, offer an opportunity for adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex to come together in a safe and affirming space, hear from a range of interesting guests and feel a sense of belonging.

Anyone interested in attending a future Birds of a Feather event can email mez.lanigan@scchc.org.au or call 5421 1666.

A special guest at the event was Daylesford’s Danny Moynihan, who was introduced as “one of the most amazing ChillOut volunteers ever”. Danny was hoping Marcia would sign a copy of her album, given to him by his late, and also wonderful, wife, Roz. We’ll let you know!

Australia’s first ever Paramedic Practitioners are one step closer to heading out on the road in 2026, with the second cohort of paramedics beginning their studies at Monash University last week.

Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas last Friday visited the university’s state of the art simulation facilities to meet some of the students who will soon be able to deliver regional Victorians care once they complete the Paramedic Practitioner master’s degree.

The new specialised role will give graduates an expanded role – allowing them to independently deliver urgent care while also reducing pressure on Victoria’s busy ambulance services and emergency departments.

Under the expanded role, Paramedic Practitioners will be able to assess, diagnose and treat many conditions locally without the need to transfer patients to hospital.

The biggest change will see Paramedic Practitioners able to handle and administer scheduled medicines, so they can prescribe and supply medicines on the spot to Victorians.

Developed alongside Ambulance Victoria, Safer Care Victoria, paramedics, clinicians, and unions, the first 25 students will be deployed to regional and rural Victoria next year – fulfilling a 2022 election commitment.

Once graduated, they’ll be able to treat conditions that commonly see people visit a hospital – including urinary catheter care, wound care and closure, minor infections, dislocations and fractures.

The Victorian Budget 2023/24 invested $20 million to establish the role of Paramedic Practitioner, including delivering the new degree at no cost to eligible paramedics who have more than five years’ experience.

Since 2014, the state government has invested more than $2 billion into ambulance services – recruiting more than 2,200 additional paramedics, delivering 41 new or upgraded ambulance stations and establishing a new Centre for Paramedicine in partnership with Victoria University.

The state is also supporting the training of 40 additional Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics with AV welcoming their largest cohort of MICA trainees in history.

The latest quarterly performance data reveals Victoria’s hardworking paramedics continue to face record demand, responding to nearly 100,000 Code 1 cases this quarter – an increase of 3,000 from last year. 

Minister for Ambulance Services Mary-Anne Thomas: “We will always back our hardworking paramedics – because we know that boosting workforce numbers, delivering modern ambulance branches and rolling out advanced training will mean better, faster care for all Victorians.”

“We listened to our paramedic workforce who told us Australia’s first Paramedic Practitioners will make a huge difference to regional Victoria – delivering urgent care and reducing demand on our regional hospitals.”

Twelve Victorian students are getting the opportunity to embark on a fully funded 11-day study tour to Gallipoli, Türkiye, where they will retrace the footsteps of the ANZACs.

Victoria’s Minister for Veterans Natalie Suleyman earlier this week invited students in years nine to 12 to apply for the 2025 Spirit of Anzac Prize and gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s wartime history. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize, ensuring that Victorian students continue to learn about our veterans’ service and sacrifice. The milestone is particularly significant as students will visit Gallipoli on the 110th anniversary of the ANZACs’ landing on 25 April 1915.

By walking the same ground as those who served, students will gain a profound appreciation of the resilience, mateship, and courage that define the ANZAC spirit.

As part of their application, students will reflect on their interest in wartime history, their understanding of ANZAC values, their contributions to their school and community, and the knowledge they hope to gain from this unique experience.

More than 4,000 students have submitted applications in the last 20 years, with more than 500 of these given the opportunity to visit historic battlefields and memorials across Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia. 

The state government is supporting program, ensuring that future generations recognise the contributions of our veterans through educational programs, school initiatives, and commemorative events. 

Applications are open until Monday, April 28. To apply or find out more visit www.vic.gov.au/soap. 

Minister for Veterans Natalie Suleyman: “For 20 years, the Premier’s Spirit of Anzac Prize has given young Victorians the wonderful opportunity to gain a profound appreciation of our nation’s history and the sacrifices made by those who served.” 

“I encourage eligible students to embrace this opportunity to walk in the footsteps of our heroes and be part of the legacy that continues to educate and inspire future generations.” 

Work will soon start to reconstruct just under two kilometres of the Dean-Newlyn Road at Newlyn after the Hepburn Shire Council approved awarding the tender to Ontrack Civil Earthworks for the project.

Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said that the council was committed to maintaining and upgrading its road network to enhance safety and accessibility for the community.  

“With the roadworks in Newlyn, Council aims to deliver long-term benefits to the community and ensure that our infrastructure is future-proofed for years to come,” Cr Henderson.

“The proposed reconstruction will deliver essential improvements to our road network.”

Back in 2023 the council had completed a shire-wide detailed condition audit of its road network, gaining valuable insights into the state of local infrastructure and helping to identify key priorities for intervention, including road reconstruction and resurfacing works in both township and rural areas. 

As part of this process, a number of sections of Dean-Newlyn Road were identified for upgrade.

The first section, Stage 1, is included in the 2024/25 Capital Works Program, while Stages 2 and 3 were designed for future consideration. 

In addition to the Dean-Newlyn Road reconstruction, another major infrastructure project, Chanters Lane at Fern Hill, was initially set to be funded by the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program as part of the 2024/25 program.

This grant requires project completion by June 30, 2025. However, there have been delays in the construction of Chanters Lane in order to meet Cultural Heritage Assessment requirements which will mean that the works will not be able to be delivered within this financial year.

Instead, they will be incorporated into the 2025/26 Capital Works Program, the council confirmed in a media statement.

“With no possibility of extending the grant funding for Chanters Lane, the council proactively identified that bringing forward Stage 2 of the Dean-Newlyn Road reconstruction is a good alternative to ensure funding is used before the grant deadline.,” Cr Henderson said.

“Stage 1 and 2 of the Dean-Newlyn Road reconstruction can now proceed. This will ensure that the necessary road improvements are completed promptly while also maximising the use of available funding.”

Reconstruction of the 1.9 km section of road is slated to start late this month.

This story based on a Hepburn Shire Council report. Photo: File

Ballarat Turf Club hosts its first weekday race meeting for the year tomorrow, Friday March 7.

Gates open at 11.30am with the VOBIS Silver Two-Years-Old Maiden Plate over 1200 metres first up on the eight-race program.

The program includes five maiden races with race five the first of the three handicap races on the program.

Midweek racing at the Kennedy’s Road racecourse also returns later this month from Tuesday March 25, with the Ballarat Turf Club also preparing to host its first Charity Golf Day on Friday March 28 at the Midlands Golf Club.

The inaugural fund-raising event is being held in support of the Ballarat-based SJD Foundation which exists to benefit children and families in need.

The Hepburn Shire area is among large parts of western and central Victoria facing an increased risk of fire in early autumn, according to the Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Autumn, released late last week.

A concerning lack of rain over the past 12 to 24 months has led to increased flammable dry vegetation in forests and heathlands. This has already resulted in large, fast-running fires in the Grampians and the Little Desert over summer.

With average rainfall expected in autumn, the availability of flammable dry vegetation in forests, woodlands and heathlands is expected to remain high., the CFA says.

Forecast warmer than average maximum temperatures may also further increase flammable dry vegetation availability in western and central Victoria. This will make it easier for fires to start and spread.

Across the rest of the state, Victorians can expect normal fire potential. However, fast running fires are possible on dry and windy days in areas with dry or cured vegetation.

Conditions may delay planned burning in some parts of the state, but may also increase opportunities to target areas not typically available for burning in autumn.

Emergency services will continue to monitor conditions to identify key risk areas leading into the autumn period.

Victoria remains well prepared for the potential of fires, with a mix of water bombing aircraft, air supervision and air intelligence gathering aircraft positioned across the state to support our dedicated volunteer and career firefighters on the ground.

The Outlook for Autumn is developed by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council and supported by the Bureau of Meteorology along with state and territory fire and land managers.

The CFA is warning that it’s important for communities to understand their local risks and keep up to date with the Fire Danger Ratings on the VicEmergency app and VicEmergency website.

Country Fire Authority Chief Officer, Jason Heffernan: “While conditions remain dry with little rain forecast in certain parts of the state over coming weeks, the fire risk will continue but our crews are ready and will adapt to changes as they develop through autumn.

“Victorians should continue to maintain their properties and stay informed of their local risks so they can take action to protect their families in the event of a fire.”

This story based on a CFA report