NEWS: Significant reform to agricultural and NRM services in NSW

The Government recently announced major changes to the governance and structural framework of agricultural and natural resource management services and functions in NSW.

From January 2014, Local Land Services will deliver functions currently provided by 13 Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) and 14 Livestock Health & Pest Authorities (LHPAs) and agriculture advisory services of Agriculture NSW (part of the Department of Primary Industries).

According to the Government, Local Land Services is intended to be a new customer-focused way of delivering Government-funded agriculture and natural resource management services, advice and information in NSW.

The new Local Land Services will deliver:
· agricultural advice
· plant and animal pest control and biosecurity
· natural resource management
· emergency and disaster assessment and response.

The new Local Land Services will become operational in January 2014, when they take over the functions of CMAs, LHPAs and DPI as outlined above. In the interim, landowners will still be able to access existing services from these organisations.

During this time a range of transitional arrangements are in place, including CMAs will be reduced from 13 to 11.

For more information: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/locallandservices