Rainfall totals differed across the region, with reports ranging from 60mm to 110mm recorded at Pejar Creek while higher numbers were reported across the district. Pejar Dam, Sooley Dam and Rossi Weir are now all at 100 per cent capacity, and therefore water restrictions have now been lifted to Green Level, which is our permanent water conservation level under the Water Use Policy.

I would like to take this chance to thank our community for the positive response to restrictions over the summer period. We saw a real reduction in our water use as a city, showing people take restrictions seriously, which is necessary to conserve this precious resource.

While we still have a long way to go to break this drought, this is a huge boost for our farmers and rural residents who have been struggling through a harsh summer with extremely low feed and water. This rain will get things growing, and hopefully we will receive more rain over the coming months to set us up for a good autumn. The forecast for the rest of this week is positive, with a few showers and storms expected over the coming days to keep things damp.

Under green level restrictions target consumption is 270 litres per person per day, and hand held hoses can be used at any time to water plants or lawns. Vehicles and hard surfaces can be washed at any time, and watering systems and sprinklers can also providing this is between 5pm and 10am to ensure we are using water wisely.

Belmore Park will be buzzing all day this Saturday, February 15, as the Goulburn Multicultural Festival runs from 10am-4pm, before Vibesfest (Goulburn's very own free music festival) takes over the park for the night.

Goulburn Multicultural Food and Dance Festival will have over 20 visiting and local cultural groups putting on colourful performances. There will also be a variety of different food stalls for you to try some amazing different cuisines. I'll have the honour of officially opening the event at 12pm, and hope to see you there.

Vibesfest kicks off from 4pm, and commences with a range of free workshops including singing, song writing, drumming and even parkour with the PCYC. Local DJ Amy James will be warming up the crowd with some easy listening before local artists The Rich Pitcher, M Funk, Misplaced and Martyred featuring Sophie Palmer, Mariah K, Bromags Band, Blue Donut and Juvenile Fishbowl take to the stage.

A special fire show by the Lieder Theatre will end the night.

Headline act for this year is Mitch Tambo, winner of Australia's Got Talent 2019. I'm told Mitch will be performing some amazing arrangements of his own music and covers in his local indigenous dialect.

I also wanted to give a quick plug for the new Goulburn Regional Art Gallery exhibition, 'The Great Escape' by Alex Seton. I went along to the opening last Friday night and it was a wonderful event. There are three new exhibitions to see, headlined by Alex's sculptural works.

I highly recommend you take the time to drop into the gallery to check them out - this run of shows continues until April 4, 2020.