2020 SnapshotOn the back of several incredibly tough years due to one of the worst droughts on record, 2020 again provided a number of challenges for our communities, customers, stakeholders and staff, highlighted of course by COVID-19.

While there was much uncertainty and disruption to not only our usual way of working but our usual way of life, I am proud of the way we as an organisation adapted and continued to deliver our services to landholders, both in the paddock and through a range of online platforms.

Our service delivery pivoted to an online focus, increasing our regular communication and capacity building opportunities through webinars, online training, online media, printed media and radio interviews. Our field staff such as our district veterinarians, biosecurity officers, ag extension staff and land management team continued work on the ground, always in a COVID Safe manner.

There was a significant amount of change to the Board with five new members welcomed, with Hugh McLean and Lawrence Clarke appointed by the Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW, Adam Marshall, while Garry Hannigan, Michael Davis and Anita O’Connor were elected by ratepayers. They joined the current members in Rebecca Bunyan and Felicity McLeod, who were appointed in 2018, and Kate McBride, who was re-elected in 2020 after first being elected in 2017.

I wish to thank Neill Leigo, Andrew Mosely and Rob Wason who rolled off the Board after first being elected to it in 2014 and then re-elected in 2017, and Nicole Byrnes who was appointed to the board in 2017.

Both the Board and staff are looking forward to working with our communities, customers and stakeholders in 2021, continuing to deliver our services to secure the future of agriculture and the environment.

Magnus AitkenChair, Western Local Land Services

Our year in review Western Local Land Services

We assisted 70 land managers and community groups to grow healthy environments and adopt sustainable farming practices by providing $788,833 in incentive funding covering over 100,000 ha.

We supported 111 Aboriginal people and businesses across 24 projects to care for country, share traditional land management knowledge and help to grow and protect Aboriginal cultural heritage.

We worked with 372 land managers and 18 pest management groups to deliver a coordinated and integrated ground and aerial baiting program by issuing nearly 305,000 baits for pest animal management activities across 12 million ha.

Our vets and biosecurity officers attended 295 general consultations with land managers and conducted 201 animal health investigations and tests.

We connected 1,106 land managers with advice and networks at 173 face-to-face and online awareness raising, training and capacity building events.

Our staff provided advice on 7,100 separate occasions to landholders and customers including one-on-one specialist advice on how to improve primary production, biosecurity management and improve biodiversity outcomes.

We actively managed

98,033 ha

of TSRs for biodiversity

conservation and Aboriginal

cultural values

We issued 62 permits on TSRs

1,132 head of cattle,

225 headof sheep and

1,000 head of goats

More than

37,804 ha

of land was managed for

improved agricultural

production

We worked with 129

community groups and

supported 220

participants on collaborative

regional projects

We protected

11,351,829 ha

of land against pest animals

through coordinated

landscape scale baiting

programs

Over 58,497 ha of

land was protected against

regional priority weeds

We connected 428 participants with

advice and networks at 73 awareness

raising and capacity building events

10,834 ha of signi�cant species and

endangered ecological communities were enhanced,

rehabilitated and protected

There were 24 projects across 6,502 ha where Aboriginal Cultural Heritage values were protected and Traditional Ecological Knowledge was shared

We improved the soil

condition on more than

5,444 ha through

our Rangeland Rehabiliation

Program

Over 1,182 ha of wetlands were

enhanced, rehabilitated

or protected

There were 35 agreements which

helped enhance, rehabilitate and

protect native vegetation over

50,551 ha in the region

We partnered with 11 stakeholders and assisted 67 farming entities to help grow and

protect the far west

We provided face to face specialist advice and services over 4,500 times and our sta� responded to 2,500 enquires.

We connected with 678 land managers across 100 training events to provide advice and networks to improve primary production and natural resource management

Contact us

@LLSWestern

@LLSWestern

Balranald82 Market StreetPh: 03 5020 1691

Bourke21 Mitchell StreetPh: 02 6870 8600

Brewarrina24 Bathurst StreetPh: 02 6839 2047

Broken Hill32 Sulphide StreetPh: 08 8087 3378

Adelaide RoadPh: 08 8087 3378

Buronga32 Enterprise WayPh: 03 5021 9460

Cobar62 Marshall Street Ph: 02 6836 1575

Broomfield StreetPh: 02 6836 2081

Dubbo209 Cobra StreetPh: 02 5852 1204

Hillston180 High StreetPh: 02 6967 2507

Tibooburra1 Wills StreetPh: 0436 475 814

WanaaringVicary StreetPh: 0436 475 814

Wilcannia43 Woore StreetPh: 08 8091 5070

Onlineadmin.western@lls.nsw.gov.au

www.lls.nsw.gov.au

MANAGING PEST ANIMALS

NEW WAY OF WORKING

Here when it mattersDROUGHT RECOVERY

While some landholders and communities enjoyed improved seasonal conditions in 2020, many didn’t receive a break and endured another year of intense drought. As such, our district veterinarians, agriculture extension staff, biosecurity officers and land service officers adapted what services and support was offered, dependent on the needs of their local communities.

From day-to-day advice around animal nutrition and supplementary feeding to managing weeds and pest animals through a variety of programs, we worked with landholders and stakeholders to support them through what was another incredibly tough year.

For the landholders who have participated in our fencing, weed management and rangeland rehabilitation programs in recent years and were fortunate to record decent rainfall in 2020, their hard work and dedication to improving their farm productivity and local environment was rewarded with vegetation establishing and groundcover improving, limiting the impacts of erosion.

In 2020 we continued to work with landholders and stakeholders to manage pest animals through a range of projects and programs.

The seasonal baiting programs for the control of wild dogs continued to grow in scale with 18 pest management and Landcare groups participating - this is more than any other year.

Feral pigs are under the microscope in 2021 after 30 were fitted with GPS tracking collars in the second half of 2020. The data obtained through this project will be mapped to allow landholders to track seasonal feral pig movements so that they can target baiting to specific areas. The project will be expanded in autumn 2021 when around 30 wild dogs will be fitted with GPS tracking collars.

Other initiatives continuing into 2021 include the Professional Wild Dog Controller program and ‘white spaces’ project. Visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au for more information.

Like all businesses and industries in 2020, we were not immune from the impacts of COVID-19, resulting in a new way of working and delivering services to landholders and stakeholders.

Our ag extension team met the challenge by developing a monthly ‘Ag Chat’ newsletter which offered the latest ag extension news and advice. We also delivered a monthly webinar which featured seasonal and industry specific topics to increase landholder knowledge and expertise. We continued to offer face-to-face workshops for things such as crop tours and demonstration days.

This mix of traditional and new service delivery will continue in 2021, with a podcast series in development for release in the second half of 2021.