If you have damage to your property, you can now report it online via the Primary industries natural disaster damage survey. The survey allows you to record crop, animal, or infrastructure damage and losses, or to upload photographs to show the severity of damage in your area.
It’s been another big year filled with challenges that affected many landholders and communities across the state. Through biosecurity threats, animal health alerts and emergency responses, we’re proud to be the boots on the ground delivering advice and services to you and your community.
Across the state in 2021-22 we:
protected almost 59,000,000 ha of land through coordinated pest animal control programs
conducted over 3,000 on-farm disease investigations
protected more than 210,00 ha of land against priority weeds
conducted over 1,000 plant pest disease inspections
had 279 staff assisting with flood emergency responses
Your rates that are collected each year are 100% returned to you through these services which helps us, help you when you need it most.
Even though you may not have livestock, your property will have benefited from our services including our coordinated pest and weed control programs.
Under the Local Land Services Act 2013, we must charge rates on all land classified as rateable land under the Act. This is generally land 10 hectares or more in size (40 hectares in the Western region and 20 hectares in some parts of Murray and Riverina regions). Our rates are different to council rates charged under the Local Government Act 1993. Rates contribute up to one fifth of Local Land Services operating budget.
Your rates notice will arrive in January, before then we encourage you to visit our dedicated rates portal to learn more about our rating process and the value you receive from the work we do – www.lls.nsw.gov.au/rates
Scabby mouth is a well known viral disease that causes pustules and scabs to develop, usually around the face and mouth of affected animals, but also on other non-woolled parts of the body like the legs and udder. The virus is reasonably prevalent on sheep properties in our district and persists in the environment for many years. It is also important to remember that it’s a zoonosis and so we can be affected by pustules and scabs ourselves!
Face lesions are not uncommon, and often seen in mild form in lambs at marking. The classic presentation in outbreak form is young sheep, often weaners grazing rough feed - thistles, burr or stubbles. These feeds cause abrasions, resulting in a break in the skin’s defences necessary for viral entry and infection. Moving the mob to a paddock where the feed is not abrasive should stop new infections occurring. Badly affected animals may be reluctant to eat and drink and suffer a setback, particularly unweaned lambs.
When scabby mouth occurs on the legs, it is known as strawberry footrot.
Warm, moist conditions favour the breeding of blow flies.
Susceptibility of sheep to flystrike is determined primarily by fleece moisture. Moist wool can develop fleece rot and/or lumpy wool, which attracts blowflies. Urine- or faeces-stained wool, skin wounds, tissue damage such as footrot, weeping eyes and sweat around the base of the horns of rams can also make sheep susceptible. A wetter-than-average spring area increases the risk of moisture in the fleece and subsequent flystrike.
Paddocks with green feed increase the water component of faeces and those animals with excess wrinkle and wool will be more likely to suffer from breech strike. Monitor sheep closely, especially during high-risk fly periods, and treat struck sheep quickly. Controlling the risk of flystrike leads to better health and welfare outcomes for your sheep as well as more money in your pocket.
Riverina trials thermal imagery for pest vertebrate surveys
Using high resolution thermal imagery for surveying vertebrate pest populations has been evaluated by NSW Local Land Services in the Riverina at Hay, Balranald and Booligal.
The project considered the different landscapes, affordability, and analysis method, with two cameras – a Vayu HD-Gen 2 and Panasonic GH5 4K resolution video - mounted to the side of a helicopter.
The technology is able to capture a large field of view yet maintain enough definition to easily detect and identify the target species in a broad search area.
Free training available for vertebrate pest control
Landholders must be accredited to use and collect baits to take part in Local Land Services control programs. Vertebrate Pesticides Induction Training can now be done online, saving you time and money.
The free online course means that you can now get the same quality training from the convenience of your own home. The course takes roughly two hours to complete, and once finished, a certificate valid for five years will be emailed to participants straight away.
The course takes landholders through their legal responsibilities, safety requirements and practical considerations for the effective use of baits and pesticides on feral pests. You'll be equipped with the latest information to carry out an effective baiting program on your properties. For more information, or to access the free Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training, visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au/VPIT or contact your local Biosecurity Officer
Fox baiting not only protects valuable livestock but also many vulnerable native species. Join the Feral Fighters program and take part in a large scale coordinated effort at the opportune baiting times of Autumn and Spring.
Every year we lock in local bait collection points to allow landholders to order and pick up baits at a location convenient to you.
To acquire and use 1080 baits in NSW, you must be accredited with an AQF3 Chemical Accreditation or Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) course accreditation.
Weed watch | Wards weed (Carrichtera annua)
Wards Weed is becoming a serious weed of semi-arid rangelands (250 mm and 350 mm per year) in the Riverina, particularly in the western regions.
It is relatively common plant of dry open and disturbed sites as well as open grassland, shrubland and relatively open grazing lands. It invades other grassy communities, including those with relatively low rainfall but with tree cover such as central and western Travelling stock Reserves. Disturbed areas (such as roadsides, and especially areas degraded by overgrazing are prime settling grounds for Wards weed, where it easily replaces desired pasture plants and grasses to become the dominant species.
Its impact can be devastating to both Grazing pastures and cereal cropping. It is known to reduce the quality of both meat and milk in animals that graze on Wards weed, even though it is generally unpalatable.
How to use the Weed ID Guide
Travelling Stock Reserves
Travelling stock reserves off limits for camping
Looking for a great spot to camp these summer holidays? Think again before setting up camp on a travelling stock reserve (TSR).
Restrictions on camping are in place to protect TSRs and the important role they play in moving livestock, the grazing industry, biodiversity conservation and Aboriginal culture.
All TSRs are clearly signposted, but if you’re not sure whether you’re on a TSR, you can contact your nearest Local Land Services office to find out.
If you’re looking for a great spot to camp, you’re allowed to camp in designated areas of National Parks and State Forests. Click below for more information.
Introducing the new Reconnecting River Country Program information hub
To help ensure stakeholders have access to the latest information and updates about the Reconnecting River Country Program, a new online information hub has been launched.
The information hub provides access to a suite of materials about the program and how the team are working with local communities to improve environmental, social and cultural outcomes along the Murray and Murrumbidgee River systems.
The materials include fact sheets, brochures, videos/animations, webinar recordings and presentations, covering topics including:
the background to the program and its objectives
the proposed flow options and mitigation measures
the modelling being used to inform decision making
the potential environmental benefits
how the program is engaging with landholders, stakeholders, First Nations people and community members.
The information hub will be regularly updated, so be sure to keep checking in to get the latest program updates and information.
Pause to engagement activities
With flooding continuing to impact many communities across southern NSW and further afield, the program has postponed the bulk of its engagement activities until early 2023. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the program, please visit the information hub or contact the team on 1300 081 047 or winsw.engagement@dpie.nsw.gov.au.
Local Land Services is supporting the Department of Planning and Environment’s Water Infrastructure NSW team to deliver the Reconnecting River Country Program.
Natural Resource Management
What does NRM mean?
You might have heard the term natural resource management (NRM) and wondered what it actually means. NRM involves adopting coordinated strategies to sustainably manage natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals.
At Local Land Services we work with land managers, stakeholders and community groups to develop and deliver effective NRM practices that safeguard our landscapes and natural assets for future generations.
Hear from Riverina landholder, Mike Roach talk about the legacy he’s creating and on-farm short and long-term benefits he’s seeing from working with the Riverina natural resource management team.
Contact your nearest Local Land Services office to speak to your NRM team about ways you could improve biodiversity on your patch – 1300 795 299.
The benefits of working with the Local Land
Services Natural Resource Management team.
Bringing back the Bunyip Bird: Bittern Summit 2023
We are hosting the Australasian Bittern Summit 2023 in Leeton NSW on Tuesday, 31 January 2023 – Friday, 3 February 2023. This is the first time such a conference has been held and is an amazing opportunity to see and hear about all things Bittern.
The conference includes an interesting and engaging program with unique tours to the key Bittern wetlands of the Riverina including the internationally recognised Fivebough Wetland and Bittern-friendly rice crops.
Expert speakers from across Australia and New Zealand will cover a range of topics, including innovative monitoring methods, wetland management and Bittern-friendly rice.
Bitterns are considered a flagship species for encouraging and promoting healthy wetland management. There are many projects currently being undertaken to improve the long-term outlook for this species.
The Summit will bring together all those interested in this curious bird. The event is an opportunity to find out what is happening and what can be done in the future for the long-term survival of the species.
Start preparing your site for planting native plants
The native plant nurseries are finalising the propagation of their seedlings for 2023 so it's a good time to contact them now and place your order to ensure that you can source species suitable for your site. If you are direct seeding your site, now is the time to get in contact with the provider to book your site in.
Late summer/autumn is also the best time to rip your planting lines to enable deep shattering of the soil. Deep cultivation will make it quicker to plant and will increase the survival rate of plants.
Rip lines should be approximately 4-5m apart in the upper areas of our region and 6-8m apart in the lower region of the Riverina.
If you need help determining what plant species are best suited to your site or ripping specifications, then please contact Cherie White from Riverina Local Land Services on 0427 407 126.
Get your cereal crops tested for potential disease
A new program has been launched to protect future cereal crops! Farmers can get their retained cereal, such as wheat, durum and barley, tested for potential disease free of charge.
Our staff are working with the NSW Department of Primary Industries to bring lab tests to the farm gate to help growers identify and stamp out cereal diseases such as crown rot.
Sample kits are available at the following Local Land Services offices:
Moree
Narrabri
Gunnedah
Scone
Dubbo
Forbes
Wagga Wagga
Deniliquin
This program is supported by the @GRDC - project code DPI2207-04RTX.
We will be taking a short break over the holiday period and will be closed from 4.30 pm Friday 23 December and will be back on deck on Monday 9 January 2022.
So, if you’ve got any enquiries until then, get in touch on 1300 795 299 or use our online enquiry form! www.lls.nsw.gov.au/contact
From everyone at Local Land Services, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We’ll see you all again in 2023!
Leeton, January 31 to February 3
The Bringing Back the Bunyip Bird: Australasian Bittern Summit 2023 is a unique opportunity to connect with scientists, conservationists, wetland managers, birdwatchers and farmers who share a passion for the iconic Australasian Bittern.
PLEASE CHECK BEFORE PUBLISHING
Should you wish to use any articles from this newsletter for external publications please contact us first to discuss your idea. Thank you kindly.
Local Land Services acknowledges that it stands on Country
which always was and always will be Aboriginal land.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters,
and we show our respect for Elders past, present and emerging.
Our mailing address is:
200 Murray Road · Hanwood, NSW 2680 · Australia
The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing. However, because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that the information upon which they rely is up to date and to check the currency of the information with the appropriate officer of Local Land Services or the user’s independent adviser. For updates go to www.lls.nsw.gov.au
