Your Annual Land and Stock Return is on its way this month
Your information is 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 livestock numbers.
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.
In late May staff from Central Tablelands Local Land Services, a landholder and local council weed biosecurity officers went on a study bus tour to Cooma to learn more about the management of the invasive grasses serrated tussock and African lovegrass.
We were hosted by Jo Powells from South East Local Land Services and Brett Jones from Snowy Monaro Regional Council. There were many questions asked and there will be further discussions back here in the central tablelands as to the best approaches we have to managing these weeds.
Highlights from the tour included:
Visiting Scottsdale Reserve, a Bush Heritage Australia property to learn how they successfully managed African lovegrass and serrated tussock over a 7-year period
Meeting with Snowy Monaro Council weed officers who explained how in many areas species like serrated tussock are considered ‘endemic’ and management in varies depending on the land use
The importance of providing the right advice on controlling invasive grasses – and that management options available will vary greatly based on land use and the resources available to the landholder.
For more information on the management of invasive grasses like serrated tussock and African lovegrass visit NSW WeedWise or contact your local council weed biosecurity officer.
To slash or not to slash, that is the question to mulch over
Slashing and mulching are valuable practices for maintaining healthy pastures and maximizing agricultural productivity. Farmers and land managers can harness these techniques to promote optimal grazing conditions, reduce fire hazards, and support sustainable land management practices.
Read more about the slash and mulch trial demonstration in a trial paddock at Orange Agricultural Institute and the benefits of slashing and mulching.
We were proud partners of the recent MerinoLink Conference on June 1 which was held at Bathurst.
Landholders heard from a range of guest speakers including Graeme Ross from GWS Ross Willow Glen and Michael Payten from Alfalfa (Canowindra) Pty Ltd on topics that ranged from sire evaluation to confined feeding.
A particular highlight was hearing from Graeme and Simon Ross on the benefits of having a confined feeding area for merino sheep breeding enterprises, noting protecting groundcover and perennial pastures were the main reason for implementing a confined feeding area on their Bathurst grazing operation.
Another highlight of the Field Day talks would be Brett Littler's talk about the often-forgotten social behaviours of sheep in a confined area. Paying particular attention to feed trough length to match the pen capacity of each mob and close monitoring of the tail of each mob in the confinement feeding areas will ensure success.
The annual Future Orchards Winter Series is on again this month with presentations and orchard walks hosted across eight orchards from Stanthorpe to Tasmania.
There are two opportunities for NSW farmers to get involved with orchard walks in Orange on June 20, and in Batlow on June 21.
Starting at Canobolas Hall near Orange, presenters for the day, Ulf Kerer and Noel Mason will share strategies to increase block profitability and leading approaches to fruit growing.
Learn about:
Setting targets for young trees
Strategies to maximise young tree growth
The economics of planting a new block and ROI
Pruning strategies and forward planning
Overhauling under-performing blocks
Casey Proctor from Central Tablelands LLS will give presentations and practical demonstrations on:
Irrigation scheduling with soil moisture probes
Better utilisation of rain water with improved filtration
Soil health strategies to support better production.
You are invited to join the new research project led by Dr Gordon Refshauge, a research scientist with NSW DPI, Cowra. The project aims to examine how forage crops can be used for lambing paddocks and their contribution to lamb survival.
The research only needs a minimum of 50 twin-bearing ewes per paddock, more if that suits you.
By participating in this study, you can play a critical role in improving lamb survival rates and contributing to the development of innovative and practical solutions to the challenges faced by sheep producers in the Central Tablelands.
The EOI for this research project will close on the 31 July 2023.
The perennial grass Phalaris is a very valuable, persistent, and adaptable grazing pasture species. However, on occasions it is known to cause sporadic outbreaks of Phalaris toxicity, seen as a sudden death syndrome and a staggers syndrome.
We’ve had a successful month celebrating Mycology May. In collaboration with the Central Tablelands Regional Landcare Network (Mid Lachlan, Watershed, Little River, LOLA & Central Tablelands Landcare groups) to host a series of events across the region. Other partners included Orange City Council, Friends of Orange Botanic gardens and members of Orange Field Naturalists who supported the surveys.
Across the region 14 events with over 330 participants and a wide variety of topics: circular economy, land management rehabilitation, fungi in the paddock, soil carbon for fungi, profit & compost, vermiculture and plant pathogens.
The fungi fun kicked off with Fine Arts Fungi organised by Mid Lachlan & hosted by Rosnay Organic vineyard. There were surveys in woodlands, Mt Canobolas and Conimbla National Park. A Mystery tour in Rylstone, identification and spore printing workshops, art installation and we heard from Alison Pouliot on her latest book ‘Underground Lovers’; Mt Canobolas gets a mention on making Mycological history.
We have fungi resources on our website and at our local offices.
If you participated in Mycology or have suggestions for topics, speakers, workshops, partnerships, etc, we’d love your feedback.
Our team will once again be at the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 July. We’ll be at our usual site L22 providing support and advice on:
Understanding your biosecurity responsibilities when it comes to pest animals and weeds
Animal health and welfare
Managing natural resources on your property
Improving the productivity and profitability of your farm business.
Across both days we’ll be hosting cattle and sheep health, handling and assessment demos across from our tent at site L23. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR) network in the Central Tablelands is required to be cost neutral, meaning the only money spent on TSRs should be earnt on TSRs. To ensure adequate funding is available Local Land Services needs to be efficient and maximise its revenue by producing permits at a competitive rate.
Travelling Stock Reserves in the Tablelands are managed for the benefit of all users. We promote a balance of production, social, cultural and environmental uses of TSRs and continuously work to maintain and improve them. The Central Tablelands team works to maintain infrastructure including fencing, manage the weed burden and administer a range of permits. All of the revenue raised by TSR fees is spent on their maintenance and upkeep.
What permits are available?
Monthly grazing permits – these are available for up to 12 months. Standard conditions apply but special conditions can be set by permit writers
Long term grazing permits – five year permits granted to a dedicated permit holder who has responsibility for all maintenance including weed and feral animal control, fence and water point management. No firewood collection or camping is permitted on TSR's
Reserve use permits – written for other TSR users including organised bike or horse riding groups, social and scientific assessments.
RFCS NSW: Navigate Your Farming & Small Business Natural Hazards Workshop | 14 - 16 June
Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and their financial impacts on farming and small businesses more severe.
Rural Financial Counselling Service are hosting workshops in Bathurst, Forbes, Molong and West Wyalong to help you; understand risks associated with your local natural hazards, learn the risk management process, and utilise risk management tools.
These workshops will provide you with; knowledge to identify and evaluate your risks, skills to develop your business risk action plan and access to support to integrate risk management into your business planning.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF) is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales Governments.
Confinement feeding bus tour | 22 June
Central Tablelands LLS, Bathurst Merino Association and Sheep Connect NSW bring you the confinement feeding bus tour.
Removing livestock from perennial pastures at key times throughout the year has become a climate adaption management tool widely used by commercial wool, lamb and beef producers.
Learn more about designing and choosing a site appropriate for building your own confinement feeding area, by checking out what other farmers have out there and how it may be applied to your operation.
All participants will also receive a copy of “A guide to confinement feeding sheep and cattle in New South Wales” to help you get started on designing your own confinement feeding area.
Booking cost $50 per person
Morning tea and lunch provided
Please meet at 7:30 am, Elizabeth St, Bathurst (back of Bathurst City McDonalds car park)
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
