The Regional Tech Hub has announced a new grants program, of­fering up to $3000 to community groups across rural, regional and remote Australia.

The Connect Grants are open to grassroots projects that help people navigate the complex world of phone and internet connec­tivity.

Regional Tech Hub General Manager, Jennifer Medway, said the program is about delivering practical, on-the-ground support.

“People now have more options for connectivity than ever be­fore, but having options isn’t enough if you don’t know how to ac­cess them or where to start,” Ms Medway said.

“The Connect Grants are designed to bridge that gap by support­ing local groups to create opportunities to explain services, support people through choices, and share tools to improve connectivity.

“The funding can be used for things like hosting community workshops, facilitating local training sessions, producing simple, localised resources, upskilling staff or volunteers in connectivity literacy, promoting the Regional Tech Hub, or sponsoring events where connectivity information can be shared.

“We know from working with thousands of communities across Australia that people are crying out for practical, local help. This program goes a long way to providing it,” Ms Medway said.

Eligible applicants include not-for-profits, community groups, councils, and regional service providers. Applications close at noon on Friday, 8 August 2025. Projects must be delivered within six months of approval. For more information visit the RTH web­site, or contact: hello@regionaltechhub.org.au.

NSW landholders are being asked to report their livestock numbers and land use infor­mation as part of Local Land Services’ an­nual farm census.

The Annual Land and Stock Return col­lects information that helps shape the delivery of essential animal health and biosecurity services and prepare for emer­gencies such as bushfires and biosecurity outbreaks.

Landholders must lodge their return by 31 August 2025 via the online portal or by com­pleting the paper form received via mail.

LLS’ Executive Director Delivery, Rob Kel­ly, said the Annual Land and Stock Return helped paint a picture of agricultural land use and livestock across NSW. “If you need advice or support, please reach out to Local Land Services on 1300 795 299 or visit your nearest office.”

There are more than 170,000 landholders across NSW. Those without stock still need to complete their returns to avoid unnec­essary fees. The Animal Health and Meat Industry Levy is automatically applied to a landholder’s next Local Land Services rates notice if they fail to complete their return.

Landholders can visit nsw.gov.au/alsr or scan the QR code on their Annual Land and Stock Return notice.

Funding to fight feral pests, deliver disaster relief and boost road safety has been wel­comed by NSW Farmers, but more is still needed to secure a brighter future for the farming sector.

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said while farmers acknowledged the fund­ing and the state’s 140-million-dollar boost to biosecurity and agricultural innovation, more was still needed to secure a brighter future for farmers.

“Funding to fight pests and bolster our bi­osecurity is all welcome news – but we’re still waiting on the detail as to where this money is really going, and one-off pay­ments won’t do the job,” Mr Martin said.

“Support for our communities to recover from successive disasters is positive as well, but without Category D disaster as­sistance, we’re not confident farmers can get back on their feet.

“Further funds also need to flow to fix our ruined local roads, boost our mobile con­nectivity and get our regional rail lines back on track, so we can stay safe and build back stronger into the future.”

Initiatives to boost the sustainability of NSW’s agricultural workforce additionally remained long overdue, Mr Martin said, with the state’s peak farm body calling on the Minns Government to step up on up­skilling future farm communities.

“We must reinstate the Office of Regional Youth, deliver funding for the AgSkilled pro­gram and waive stamp duty for first farm buyers under the age of 36 to ensure a stronger farming future,” Mr Martin said.

Central West Local Land Services has in­stalled five new soil probe and weather stations as part of the Farming Forecaster Project. The sites at Mendooran, Geurie, Parkes, Jemalong (Forbes) and Grenfell, aim to equip graziers with predictive fore­casts on weather, soil moisture, and pasture production.

These sites will be incorporated into a wider network of soil probe and weather sta­tions across Australia. Rohan Leach, Mixed Farming Advisor at Central West Local Land Services, said the Farming Forecaster pro­gram operates by collecting data from the soil moisture probes and weather stations.

“The data is transformed into user-friendly weather and soil moisture data, which is readily available online” said Rohan.

“Farming Forecaster will also provide esti­mates of future pasture growth over the next 3-4 months, compared with historic seasons and climate forecasts.”

The website’s output will be a valuable re­source for landholders in the Central West, helping them make informed decisions about grazing management and understand the role of stored soil moisture in future pas­ture growth.

Paul Tognetti, the host of the Grenfell site, has found the probe and weather sta­tion extremely useful. “I’ve just started hav­ing a look at the data online and am really pleased with the info it is showing me” Paul said.

“The weather information is great with things like wind speed and direction great for spraying and the easy-to-read daily rain­fall chart great for my record keeping.

“This type of information will be invaluable for pasture management and livestock plan­ning in the Central West region, as well as managing risks associated with predicted declines in feed availability, such as con­serving fodder, purchasing fodder and/ or destocking.”

Learn more about the Farming Forecaster Project or to enquire about hosting a future site, please contact Rohan Leach on 0417 021 795 or via rohan.leach@lls.nsw.gov.au

Central Tablelands Local Land Services is announcing Sheep Muster 2025 – an unmissable opportunity for sheep producers.

Taking place in Cowra, Sheep Muster is a free event that will focus on opportunities for improved performance and positioning pro­duction to meet demands driven by the consumer, with presenta­tions highlighting the future industry and market direction.

Senior Land Services Officer Peter Evans says local producers will be sharing how they’re adapting their businesses to tackle cur­rent industry challenges. In addition to presentations and panels, Sheep Muster will feature a range of trade stands and plenty of op­portunity to chat with industry specialists and innovative producers over morning tea and lunch.

Sheep Muster will take place at the Cowra Services Club on 5 June from 9am to 3pm. Bookings are essential – www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/central-tablelands/events For more information contact Peter Evans on 0438 496 851 or via peter.evans@lls.nsw.gov.au

The Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) has begun a prosecution against a Condobolin region farmer who allegedly pumped water from a creek when the me­ter wasn’t working, and in breach of licence conditions.

The farmer faces a total of six charges in Condobolin Local Court, including:

• one count of taking water when the me­ter was not working

• one count of taking water when the me­ter was not working, while having rea­sonable grounds

• to believe the meter was not working

• three counts of contravening terms and conditions of water access licences

• one count related to failing to supply documents to NRAR investigatorsThe potential maximum penalty the Lo­cal Court can impose for the offences is $132,000.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between April 2022 and March 2024, involving water allegedly taken from Island Creek, a tributary of the Lachlan River.

NRAR will allege that the farmer took water on two occasions without having obtained an exemption to take water when the meter wasn’t working.

NRAR will allege that the second offence was despite repeated reminders and warn­ings even though they knew that there was a requirement to report the faulty meter to WaterNSW within 24 hours of discovering it.

NRAR will further allege that the farmer also failed to place orders with WaterNSW before pumping, a breach of licence condi­tions.

NRAR Director Investigations and En­forcement Lisa Stockley said rules requir­ing reporting faulty water meters were tak­en seriously by the regulator.

Ms Stockley said licence holders could continue to use the water while repairs were undertaken by submitting a section 91I exemption form.

“Once notified that a meter is not work­ing, WaterNSW will email the customer an exemption authority with an expiry date and advice that the customer must follow very carefully,” she said.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has called for commitments from all sides of politics to bridge the digital divide for ru­ral and regional Australians in this election.

NFF President David Jochinke said that while significant investment has been made, we’re still a long way from fixing the rural and regional connectivity problem.

“Whether it’s calling for help in an emer­gency, coordinating logistics during har­vest, or simply staying connected with loved ones – bush connectivity is not a lux­ury, it’s a lifeline,” Mr Jochinke said.

“Reliable connectivity is critical to keep­ing people outside major population cen­tres safe and connected, both in times of natural disasters, and in daily farm life.”

Mr Jochinke said rural, regional and re­mote constituents deserved reliable and resilient connectivity, and he acknowledged productive discussions with telecommuni­cation providers, but it’s time for the Fed­eral Government to step up.

“This election, we’ve put all parties on notice: rural voters are tired of buffering, dropouts and excuses. They want to be connected” Mr Jochinke said.

The NFF has compiled a list of actions that would continue to improve bush con­nectivity.

The NFF’s Election Platform can be found here keepfarmersfarming.org.au

Livestock producers in NSW are invited to apply for long term grazing access to select Travelling Stock Reserves (TSR). Tender submissions are now open for Long Term Grazing Permits, which are valid for up to five years from July 2025. Permits are al­located via a robust tender process led by Local Land Services. Submissions close at 11:59pm on Sunday 30 March 2025.

Program Lead TSR, Sam Hand, said strategic grazing played an essential role in effective TSR management. “Long Term Grazing Permits allow producers to make long-term business decisions and access TSR for extra fodder to support healthy live­stock, particularly during times of drought, feed shortages and other emergencies.

Applicants are required to inspect the TSR before making a submission, to ensure it is fit for their intended grazing usage.

In NSW, there are more than 6,500 TSR on Crown land, covering an area of around two million hectares. Local Land Services manages about 30 per cent of the state’s TSR network, which is approximately 578,000 hectares.

All submissions must be lodged online at https://www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw/primary-industries-nsw/travelling-stock-reserves/tsr-permits/long-term-grazing. Applicants can call on 1300 795 299 or visit the website for more information.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is launch­ing a new Social Media Academy to create the next batch of influential red meat am­bassadors to connect everyday Australians with the vital work of our producers. MLA is calling for producers to sign up to the So­cial Media Academy.

MLA’s Managing Director Michael Crow­ley said the program will help metropolitan Australians see how their favourite red meat is produced on-farm.

“MLA’s Social Media Academy will assist producers show best practice in caring for livestock and the environment so custom­ers can continue to feel good about eating red meat. We’ll be doing this on social me­dia where Australians are engaged in re­ceiving and sharing information.”

Social Media Academy participants will attend workshops at TikTok’s head office and walk away with the skills they need to build a community and following, as well as insights into boosting positive community perceptions about Australian red meat pro­duction.

The first cohort of participants will be trained by TikTok in Sydney on 23 April 2025 and learn how to create best practice content. They will also connect with other Australian agriculture content creators.

Selection criteria available at www.mla.com.au/mla-social-media-academy