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Incentive funding EOIs close tomorrow
 Expressions of interest (EOIs) are open until 5pm tomorrow, Friday 10 July for the first round of a three-year grants funding program.
If you have a good idea to improve your land, we may have funding available to get you started.
Just complete the one-page Expression of Interest (EOI) form and return it by fax, email or in person by 5pm on Friday. Land managers will have up to 12 months to complete projects that receive funding.
Funding is available for projects that improve:
• Grazing management
• River corridors and wetlands
• Rehabilitation and erosion control
• High conservation and areas of significance
• Aboriginal land management.
We will be holding field days throughout the region to help land managers and community groups develop their applications and will allocate a staff member to work with each applicant.
Download an Expression of Interest form or call your local office on 1300 795 299 to find out more.
Photo: Work underway on a TGP project at "Tichawanta" via Brewarrina.
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Animal management issues
Stock watering point renewals
Lessees of stock watering places who hold leases that expire between now and March next year will be offered an extension of the terms of their leases until 30 June 2016. Offers will be included with the next billing round.
For more information, email Ben Slingsby at the Buronga office or phone (03) 5021 9408.
Bloat warning
 Recent rains have seen an abundance of clovers and medics grow which can cause the deadly condition bloat. While this growth is a great source of nutrition for livestock, cattle deaths have been reported around the Goodooga district as a result.
This spike in deaths is caused by the combination of little dry feed in the paddocks, followed by recent rain and a massive flush of clover growth.
Landholders who have stock with these conditions should take steps to prevent livestock deaths due to bloat, as these types of pastures cause a gassy froth to form in the rumen (the first stomach) which cannot be burped up. The distended rumen puts pressure on the lungs, heart and blood vessels – death is rapid and treatment is usually impossible.
Some of the many options for prevention are listed online. Talk to your local vet for more information.
Rural crime costs millions of dollars every year and includes theft of livestock, produce and equipment, illegal shooting, and trespassing.
The NSW Police Force has called for the community's help to identify people involved in rural crime and is encouraging landholders to report any information that may prove helpful.
You can also report knowledge of rural crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers - 1800 333 000.
Information is also available on the NSW Police website on: farm security assessments; farm security tips; rural crime prevention.
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Events near you
Waratah pest exclusion fencing demonstration day
 John and Rana Manns of Dijoe, near Cobar, will host a demonstration day at their property as part of the pest exclusion fencing demonstration program. Waratah funded local contractor, Neville Prince to erect 2km of fencing at Dijoe property as part of the program, while Westonfence provided weston droppers.
This day is a chance to learn about fencing options as well as other pest animal management and monitoring measures. Daniel Crisp from Waratah (photographed at left) will be there, as well as local suppliers, who can discuss costings, products, services and even finance options.
"Dijoe", 60km north of Cobar on the Kidman Way
Wednesday 26 August 2015
9am to 2pm
RSVP: email Kerry Johnson or phone 02 6836 1575
Free trip to Charleville field day
Local Land Services is providing a free bus trip for interested landholders to attend the Predator Control Field Day at Charleville on Thursday 6 August. Transport and subsidised accommodation will be provided. The bus will also stop at Dijoe to see the new section of demonstration fencing.
Arrangements are:
- Bus travel from Cobar to Charleville on Wednesday 5 August, departing 10.30am
- Two nights accommodation at Charleville
- Bus returns to Cobar after lunch on Friday 7 August.
The Charleville field day is described as a "one stop shop" for predator control, covering wild dogs, pigs, foxes and feral cats. It includes an opportunity to:
- look at different control methods - including fencing, baiting and trapping
- talk to the experts
- hear from local producers about their experiences.
More information: email Amy Gunn or phone 02 6836 1575.
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Land and stock returns due 31 August
You should have counted stock on your property for your annual land and stock return, which is due to be lodged by 31 August. Lodging online is easy to and nil returns are important too. If you don't lodge a return, an animal health rate and meat industry levy will be added to your 2016 rates notice.
This is essentially a census for livestock to be completed on June 30 by all land managers who pay Local Land Services rates or have a Property Identification Code. All stock six months or older on the property as of June 30 should be counted, regardless of whether they belong to the landholder, are agisted or are on the property for any other reason. Pigs of any age should be counted as well as flocks of 100 or more poultry.
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Annual Land and Stock Returns are due by 31 August
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Training, resources and opportunities
Rangelands Carbon Conference
 If children are our future, what aspect of our work is looking at future opportunities?
That's a question some of our staff have been asking recently and as a result they are now developing a program for the 2015 Rangelands Carbon Conference.
The two-day conference will be held in Cobar in October and will address all aspects of the emerging carbon economy.
The aim is to provide a source of impartial information for the benefit of landholders, financial and industry advisers and community members, with a strong focus on hearing from land managers who are involved in carbon farming and learning firsthand about their experiences with this emerging economy.
To find out more, talk to Fiona Harris in the Bourke office. Photo: Ruth Sandow
NSW Rangeland producers part of Australian first mapping program
 Eleven sheep and beef producers across NSW have signed on to an Australian-first pilot program funded by the Australian Government and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), demonstrating the use of remote sensing technology to enhance long-term and daily property management.
The NRM Spatial Hub project allows land managers to develop on-line digital property maps to allow better monitoring of ground cover and land condition, as well as assist with safe carrying capacity and grazing management decisions.
More than 100 properties across rangeland-producing regions of Australia have signed on to participate in the demonstration phase of the project.
The NRM Spatial Hub is using time-series satellite remote sensing of ground cover in a way that’s not been available to land holders before, and will allow producers to use and compare their own data and decisions with government data in a truly interactive way.
The ambitious two-year pilot program will develop and demonstrate a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art systems, on-line tools, data and skills to rangeland managers, that will have the potential to underpin better long term management decisions and measurable improvements in landscape condition and productivity.
Find more information on the producers who have signed up to the Spatial Hub.
New Rural Resilience Officer in Bourke
 Sarah Goulden is the new Rural Resilience Officer with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for Western NSW, based in Bourke.
The Rural Resilience Program is focused on strengthening and supporting individual farmers, families and farm workers to build capacity so that farming communities can remain sustainable and adapt, or even flourish, in changing circumstances.
A former Rural Financial Counsellor across the Far West, Sarah's role is to support individuals and farming networks and to connect them to support services and share information. She is available to support people during times of adversity and has skills in business, particularly management, business development and financial planning.
Please answer these three questions
To help Sarah and DPI gather information for future planning, please complete this simple survey of three questions. To talk to Sarah, call 0418 113 781.
Landcare conference
 Central Tablelands Local Land Services, in partnership with the Department of Primary Industries, will host the 2015 NSW LLS & Landcare Conference in Orange from 1 to 3 September this year. The theme for this year’s conference is ‘From the Ground Up’ representing the Landcare ethos and celebrating the International Year of Soils. To keep up to date join the mailing list or like the conference on Facebook.
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Calling all amateur photographers
 Calling all amateur photographers - we are looking for your photos of the Western Local Region. Entries will soon be open for the 2015 Life and Light in the Western Region photo competition.
Western Landcare NSW will be coordinating the competition and this year's theme is Our Land - My Home. There will be nine categories, all with cash prizes.
Follow Western Landcare NSW and Local Land Services Western Region on Facebook for all the details and to vote for the People's Choice award.
Photo: "Master of all I Survey" - Sophie Bragg's 2014 winning entry in the Open Black and White category.
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