There have been so many highlights in our activity over the last couple of months but the most significant for the North Coast LLS team was attending the Primex Agricultural Field Day in May. We were very proud to be a sponsor of this important event in our region which brings together more than 40,000 people over the three-day event.
Acknowledging the recovery journey that this region is still taking, for the first time North Coast LLS hosted several recovery support agencies at our stand. This partnership was important in providing a one stop shop of information, resources, conversations and support for our flood affected customers.
Our team members were out in force during the event offering the latest information on animal health, invasive pests and weeds, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. I was also pleased to host many of our North Coast LLS Board Members at the LLS display and it was a great opportunity for them to engage with our ratepayers and landholders as well.
The North Coast LLS team will also continue to participate in our region's many rural shows in the second half of the year and I encourage you to keep an eye on the website to see the range of workshops, field days and events that we are involved in.
Louise Orr | General Manager
Annual Land and Stock Return
Keep an eye on your letterbox
Your livestock numbers are important to us and helps keep NSW safe. We’ve streamlined the online process this year to help make it even easier to provide your information.
The online portal opens 30 June and closes 31 August 2023. You can still manually submit if online doesn’t work for you.
Even if you don’t have any stock, filling out your Annual Land and Stock Return helps us keep your details up to date and guarantees penalties won’t be applied to your next Local Land Services rates notice.
Following a relatively dry autumn on the far north coast, Local Land Services is encouraging livestock producers to think about the feed requirements they will need through the coming winter and spring.
Reduced growth of tropical pastures because of a dryer than normal autumn, combined with some pastures still recovering from the flooding last year has some producers with slightly less carryover feed ahead of cattle for this coming winter than they would normally have. Early frosts in late May, early June have also resulted in a further reduction in tropical pasture quality.
If you haven’t already done so, take the time to assess your farm and livestock now so you can begin to make decisions around managing the months ahead.
Winter-Spring feed gaps are nothing new on the north coast. Protein supplements, such as urea and molasses licks, protein meals such as canola meal, all increase utilisation of standing tropical pastures.
Local Land Services agricultural teams and district veterinarians are available to discuss herd health and nutritional needs. You can chat to your team by calling your closest LLS office on 1300 795 299.
Do you want more profitable and sustainable grazing systems?
To achieve this, you need skills and knowledge of the interaction between pastures and grazing livestock to develop more efficient and effective grazing systems.
Producers can do this through PROGRAZE™, a recognised, industry-lead training course based on proven principles of pasture and livestock production. Participants develop skills in pasture and animal assessment that improve the productivity and sustainability of grazing systems.
PROGRAZE™ Sustainable Grazing Management courses consist of 8 x ½ day workshops and will help you to:
visually assess pasture
understand how pasture quality & quantity impact animal production
match pastures to livestock requirements
fat score livestock
use grazing management to improve productivity & sustainability of pastures
use grazing management to help control worms.
There is an opportunity to participate in one of these areas:
Northern (Casino, Lismore)
Central (Grafton, Dorrigo)
Southern (Macksville, Kempsey, Port-Hastings)
Expressions of interest are now open for local PROGRAZE™ workshops. EOI close July 21, 2023.
PROGRAZE™ is a course developed by NSW Department of Primary Industries, with funding from Meat and Livestock Australia, and delivered by Local Land Services.
Fixing Farm Erosion expression of interest - opening soon!
Do you have an erosion problem on farm that you just can’t work out how to solve? Do you need a plan to help get your production back on track?
Landholders in the North Coast LLS region will soon be able to submit an expression of interest (EOI) to receive support to help manage an erosion problem that is impacting farm production.
A wide range of erosion impacts are still affecting farm production following the 2022 severe flooding and wet weather. Some of the erosion impacts that landholders might be experiencing may be a threat to built infrastructure, reduced access to production areas, dam failure or reduction in productive land area.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity for a consultant to visit the erosion site and be provided with tailored management advice and a plan, which may include an initial design and estimate of costings for remediation works. A series of group workshops are also planned for later this year.
Financial support to complete on ground works will not be provided through this program and the intention is that landholders will be able to use the plans to undertake self-funded works.
North Coast Local Land Services under the Australian Government’s Fisheries Habitat Restoration Program has worked with partners to restore the health and functionality of fisheries habitat at key sites across the region:
Brunswick River
Emigrant Creek
Nambucca River
Tweed River
Fisheries habitat restoration plays a vital role in maintaining the health and sustainability of marine ecosystems. Over the years, human activities, such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction, have taken a toll on fish populations and their habitats. By restoring these habitats, we can reverse some of the damage done and ensure the long-term viability of our rivers and oceans.
To discuss one of the species selection guides further with a staff member, contact the Riverbank Rehabilitation Project by email: riverrehabproject@lls.nsw.gov.au.
Bank protection working to reduce erosion and store carbon
North Coast Local Land Services has been involved in a bank stabilisation project at Emigrant Creek near Ballina with researchers from Southern Cross University (SCU).
Corrugated log fillets were initially installed to prevent soil eroding into the Richmond River. These were built in front of eroding banks to absorb wave action and create an area of still water between the fillet and the bank. This has led to the collection of sediment allowing the regeneration of mangroves.
The SCU researchers have been investigating the ability of the mangroves to trap sediment and store carbon. The project has been a success with results showing that carbon is being stored at a rate up to 100 times the normal global blue carbon accretion level per year.
Not only do the mangroves and saltmarsh create fantastic fish habitat, but we can also see from this research the huge amount of blue carbon that can be stored in the soils of estuaries if the settings are right.
The bank stabilisation works at Emigrant Creek were facilitated by Local Land Services as part of the Riverbank stabilisation project which is funded under the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy.
Now the colder weather is upon us, pest animals like wild dogs, foxes, rabbits, feral pigs, like us are also feeling the pinch so now is a good time to take advantage of that extra drive for food and consider doing some proactive pest management. If you have pests on your property talk to your neighbours, as those same pests you are seeing may also be using neighbouring properties and consider carrying out a group control program. This will achieve a better best long-term outcome as it will remove the pests from larger area giving your livestock, domestic pests and the native animals on your land better protection.
Targeting priority weeds on our travelling stock reserves
Rangers and contractors for North Coast LLS' travelling stock reserves program have been undertaking control of Tropical Soda Apple on TSRs. Working with Local Control Authorities to identify known or high-risk locations for this priority pest, the weed is being controlled by removing the fruit by hand for landfill disposal and then using both hand-pulling or foliar spraying of the plants to ensure their effective control. In a recent sweep of a single reserve over several days, a contractor bagged and removed more than 60 kilograms of fruit, equating to hundreds-of-thousands of seeds! Help us control TSA on our travelling stock reserves by reporting it to your local council or the NSW DPI Biosecurity Helpline 1800 680 244.
Animal welfare of livestock – Are they fit to load?
Livestock producers - regardless of your herd size, your animal health and welfare responsibilities are a priority in both planning and the day-to-day operations.
Depending on what stage of growth your livestock are, we want you to think about and plan for the upcoming season. Ask yourself - Do I have enough feed and water for the entire herd to last the season? Before you find yourself in a situation where you see a decline in the animals; body condition and they are not fit to load, please consider all your options.
If you need assistance or expert advice in cattle health & welfare, or with rational decision making around management choices please contact Local Land Services on 1300 795 299 and speak with one of our district veterinarians or animal health biosecurity officers. You may need to consider supplementary feeding or selling some or all of your cattle to ease the financial and labour pressures, as well as the animal welfare risks associated with being inappropriately stocked, and before there is an issue with the cattle not being fit-to-load.
A reminder to flood and storm impacted primary producers and landholders, a number of Rural Assistance Authority grants will close to new applications on 30 June 2023.
This includes the Special Disaster Grants, Rural Landholder Grants and the Critical Producer Grant made available in response to storm and flood disaster events that occurred throughout 2022.
Please also note that the application period for Critical Producer Grants has been extended until 30 September 2023, giving primary producers more time to apply.
It's no secret that the North Coast has suffered from multiple disasters in recent years. We want to know what we can do and how we can tailor our programs to best look after your needs.
If you are a local landholder or manager in the North Coast region, we want to hear from you! Tell us what you need to know to be better prepared and resilient to natural disasters by completing our survey.
The information we are collecting will be used to better tailor our future programs to suit your needs.
Tell us what you think! Complete the 20 minute survey today.
Do you still have flood damaged fences in need of clearing, repairing or replacing?
Primary producers in the Tweed, Byron, Lismore & Mid-Western regions who require assistance are encouraged to apply for support through Rotary Australia World Community Service.
RAWCS are currently taking expressions of interest from primary producers for fence rebuilding support to be carried out by their teams of volunteers.
The Early Needs Recovery Program is reaching more primary producers
The Early Needs Recovery Program team have been busy working towards providing on-ground support and services to primary producers and industries with their on-going recovery from the severe flooding and storm events in early 2022 (AGRN1012).
Some of the recent activities the program has achieved in the North Coast region include:
Hosting 22 awareness raising and capacity building workshops attended by 1874 participants. Topics covered include pasture species selection, weed identification and management, and flood recovery support
Conducting 320 1:1 landholder consultations with primary producers, including flood impacted dairy farmers
Supporting 91 flood impacted primary producers across a range of industries
24,425m of flood damaged fences cleared, repaired and replaced
Weed management and control activities undertaken across 427 hectares
Conducting 731 weed surveillance inspections
Awarding $1.7 million in grant funding to 12 industry bodies 11 of which will organise activities to support recovery and capacity building of their primary producers in the North Coast region.
Upcoming priorities for the program include:
Development of a Foundational Beef Course in collaboration with NSW Department of Primary Industries
Continue support of industry and not-for-profit grantees with regular meetings and attendance at events.
The Early Needs Recovery Program is operating across four Local Land Service regions including, South East, Greater Sydney, Hunter and North Coast. To learn more about recent achievements of the program visit Early Needs Recovery Program or email recovery@lls.nsw.gov.au
Local Land Services is delivering the program in collaboration with the Department of Regional NSW and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The program is part of the $150 million Primary Industry Support Package which is co-funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
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:
24-26 Mulgi Dr · South Grafton, NSW 2460 · 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
There have been so many highlights in our activity over the last couple of months but the most significant for the North Coast LLS team was attending the Primex Agricultural Field Day in May. We were very proud to be a sponsor of this important event in our region which brings together more than 40,000 people over the three-day event.
It's no secret that the North Coast has suffered from multiple disasters in recent years. We want to know what we can do and how we can tailor our programs to best look after your needs.
