The extent of the 2019/2020 bushfires highlighted the urgent need for a national smoke forecasting system to protect the health of Australians. In response, the Australian Government provided funding in 2021 to develop a national prototype smoke forecasting system. The project tested potential extensions to the operational AQFx system that has been running by the Bureau of Meteorology in Victoria for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) (formerly Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)), and in NSW for the Rural Fire Service (RFS).

The prototype system was developed through a research collaboration between CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology, the University of Tasmania, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne and DEECA.