the benefits of biomass for groundcover and soil protection
nutrient status of different crop biomass types
relationships between biomass and yield
nitrogen fixation from legume biomass
mapping biomass to zone paddock soil types.
Please send in any questions when you register that you would like answered during the webinar. If you are unable to attend the webinar live, still register so we can email you the recording.
Time to check the Christmas list…twice!
With Christmas coming around quick, we're reminding landholders that a bit of planning could take a number of stresses away this festive season.
Meatworks and saleyards will be closing soon for their annual Christmas shut down period. Without the option of selling stock during the closure, livestock producers need to check they have sufficient feed on hand, whether that's grass in the paddock, grain in the silo or hay in the shed.
Water supplies are also an important issue to consider as the summer weather warms up. Make sure bores and troughs are working well and if dams are likely to dry up, start planning now on moving stock to paddocks where there is a safer water source.
It's important to remember that livestock will increase water consumption significantly in warmer weather. Making sure stock also have access to shade and shelter from the heat is also essential to meet basic animal welfare standards.
With many landholders enduring a number of tough years recently, in addition to the impacts of COVID-19, knowing their land and livestock have been taken care of will hopefully allow landholders to have an enjoyable Christmas without any extra worries.
Anthrax vaccination reminder for livestock producers
Landholders are urged to vaccinate cattle and sheep against anthrax to prevent the disease which can kill livestock. Preventing anthrax from occurring through vaccination breaks the cycle of spore production, reducing the risk of anthrax occurring in the future. If vaccination is conducted on an annual basis, spores in the environment will die.
Landholders can apply to use the anthrax vaccine through their LLS district veterinarian, who can also provide specific advice for landholders based on their location and property history.
Anthrax is listed as a prohibited matter under the NSW Biosecurity Act and is a notifiable disease which must be reported immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease hotline, 1800 675 888. Visit the NSW DPI website for further information or contact your Western LLS district veterinarian:
Following the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow, now is a good time to announce that Western LLS staffer Fiona Garland will be spending one day a week looking at new opportunities for Western land managers to participate in carbon and environmental markets.
NSW and Australia now both have net-zero targets, so demand for carbon credits is set to increase. Fiona is excited to explore the role that Western NSW can play in the decarbonisation transitions ahead.
One exciting opportunity may involve your dams or ground tanks. Increased global interest in Blue Carbon (carbon captured by the world’s oceans and coastal ecosystems) has led Deakin University’s Blue Carbon Lab to look into carbon project opportunities in freshwater ecosystems, or Teal Carbon.
They are currently working on projects involving wetlands and farm dams, and the latter may result in farmers being paid carbon credits to undertake actions which reduce emissions from dams.
Keep an eye out for an episode of Landline airing this month that will focus on carbon opportunities in the agriculture sector. In the meantime if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas around carbon or environmental markets, please contact Fiona on fiona.garland@lls.nsw.gov.au or 0467 731 824.
Work underway to manage invasive plant species in the Western region
Landholders are working closely with Western LLS to improve and sustain the condition of close to 25,000 hectares of natural resources through the control of invasive weed species.
Following a competitive expression of interest process, 25 landholders have been contracted through the 2021-22 Western Weed Management Program to carry out control works for African boxthorn, mesquite and cactus.
The control works will be carried out in targeted areas throughout the Western region, which will also protect Plains-wanderer habitat and Coolibah Black-Box Threatened Ecological Communities.
Aerial baiting for wild dogs underway, ground baiting to commence soon
At the start of November our aerial baiting program for the control of wild dogs got underway with 156 properties and 22 pest groups participating. Aerial baiting will occur along 6,438 km of pre-determined bait lines over largely inaccessible country, with 64,383 baits being deployed.
Landholders throughout the region will shortly be taking part in ground baiting for wild dogs, with local pest management groups to collect their baits from their local biosecurity officer in the coming weeks.
The Western Tracks project has seen seven wild dogs tracked this year to give valuable data on the behaviour of wild dogs in Western NSW. Despite the best efforts of the project team and local landholders, no further wild dogs were collared during October.
Collaring work is continuing into November, however it will be on hold from the end of November due to the warmer weather, with animal ethics approvals a key component of this research project.
Earlier this year Western LLS received funding through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund for the project You can’t manage what you can’t measure to develop a tool for predicting kangaroo density at the property level.
This month researchers are heading out west to begin the process of testing the tool's accuracy, while early next year the tool will be tested on a further four properties, with two field days to be held to promote the project.
As part of the project we are producing new resources to explore the development of the tool and kangaroo management issues in general. This will include five new kangaroo-related podcasts in the Pastoral Poddy series.
Head to the Kangaroo Management Taskforce website for all things kangaroo, including links to the project and to a special kangaroo edition of Ecological Management and Restoration. This landmark special edition is dedicated to improving the management of kangaroo and wallaby (macropod) species in Australia and includes 25 papers contributed by Australian researchers specialising in this field, public land managers and two landholders from Western NSW (Leon Zanker and Ashley McMurtrie).
For all things kangaroo please contact Fiona Garland on fiona.garland@lls.nsw.gov.au or 0467 731 824. Image: Sissy Thompson, Life and Light Photo Competition.
NSW Wild Dog Fence Extension project update
The NSW Wild Dog Fence Extension project is continuing to work through the assessments for biodiversity and Aboriginal cultural heritage, as well as the approvals pathway, with COVID-19 restrictions continuing to cause serious challenges. Some recent works of interest include:
Approvals for a 35 km section at the top of the NSW and South Australian alignment are progressing with an application made to the South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet for Aboriginal Heritage approvals.
Vegetation mapping has been completed for the NSW and South Australian alignment, with a decision pending on whether this is to be classified as exempt land.
Planning for further assessments along the southern end of the NSW and South Australian alignment are progressing and will be scheduled once COVID-19 restrictions allow the work to be undertaken.
As we get closer to the end of 2021, any stakeholder group or individual landholders who would like a presentation on the work achieved to date, current status of the project and next steps, can request this by contacting the project team on (02) 5852 1215 or wilddogfence@scs.nsw.gov.au. For more information on the project visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au/WDF.
Got a project with us? Time to submit your photo and report
Landholders that have an incentive project with Western LLS that requires annual photo point monitoring are asked to get out in the paddock and take photos for monitoring month. If you have an incentive project that requires annual photo point monitoring, you will have received a reminder letter or email, along with instructions and a recording sheet.
You can submit your monitoring in the following ways:
Complete your form electronically. Go to https://arcg.is/5TKL8 and follow the prompts to download the Survey123 app onto your mobile device. You can use the Survey123 app to access the annual photo point monitoring form from anywhere on your property and submit when back in mobile range.
Complete the annual photo point monitoring form and send a copy via email to the LLS Monitoring Month mailbox (monitoring.month@lls.nsw.gov.au).
Post the completed form to 'Monitoring Month' 32 Enterprise Way, PO Box 363, Buronga NSW 2739.
We ask landholders submit their report as soon as is practical and thanks to those that have already done so. If you have any questions contact your Western LLS Case Officer or:
Monitoring month is a requirement of the funding contracts between landholders and Western Local Land Services and is a requirement between Western Local Land Services and its funding providers. Image: Brian Dohnt and Dennis Stewart in 2018.
Before we go...
Setting our direction with the Western LLS strategic plan
We recently finalised the Western Local Strategic Plan 2021-26, the document that ensures we're delivering local value-for-money services that suit your needs.Click here to read the plan and find out more about our focus for the coming five years. Thanks to all who contributed in the extensive consultation process.
Applications for the Fencing Northern Basin Riverbanks Program closing soon
Landholders play a critical role in reporting sightings of plague locusts by continually monitoring the situation on their properties. Landholders that suspect they have plague locusts on their property should report immediately to their local biosecurity officer on 1300 795 299 or via anonline enquiry form on the LLS website.
Until next time...
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Western Local Land Services
Web: www.lls.nsw.gov.au
Free call: 1300 795 299
