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

Labor has failed to find a live sheep ‘transi­tion advocate’ more than six months since it passed the Export Control Amendment (Ending Live Sheep Exports by Sea) Bill 2024.

Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said despite the position having a $1.7 mil­lion commitment from Labor, not one single person in the entire country wanted it.

“It is Australia’s least wanted, highest pay­ing job, paying an enormous $1600 a day for up to 80 days. It is clear no one wants to be the transition advocate, because no farmer wants the phase out of live sheep exports to proceed.”

The state’s peak farm body has welcomed a new government initiative to address acute shortages of vets across rural NSW.

Under the NSW Government’s Welcome Experience program, vets, vet nurses, vet technicians and their families are now eligible to receive assistance with sourc­ing housing, childcare and other services when moving to rural NSW.

NSW Farmers’ Member Dr Robyn Alders AO said news of the initiative had been warmly welcomed by farming communities across the state, as they continued to grap­ple with critical workforce shortages.

“Farmers know that healthy animals are productive animals and they need to have access to vets if they are to successfully protect animal health on-farm.”

“If we want to build a sustainable veteri­nary workforce here in rural NSW, then we need a range of solutions that address the complex challenges that have caused this shortage in the first place,” Dr Alders said.

“Globally, governments are supporting a range of initiatives to ensure the availability of appropriate, affordable veterinary ser­vices to livestock producers, and it’s critical our government does the same.”

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) is reminding livestock producers and indus­try stakeholders that mandatory electronic identification (eID) is set to take effect from 1 January 2025.

The following key requirements will be starting 1 January 2025: 1. Mandatory use of eID devices such as tags for all sheep and goats born from 1 January 2025, prior to leaving the property of birth. 2. For prop­erty-to-property movements, any sheep or goats with an eID device must be scanned, and the entire movement uploaded to the NLIS database. 3. Saleyards and goat de­pots need to scan eIDs and record individu­al livestock sheep and goat movements on the NLIS database.

NSW DPIRD Director of Sheep and Goat Traceability, Kiowa Fenner, highlighted the importance of the new requirements in strengthening the integrity of the state’s live­stock traceability system.

“The introduction of mandatory eID for sheep and goats represents a significant step forward in biosecurity and livestock management for the NSW sheep and goat industry,” Ms. Fenner said.

“If you move or sell lambs or kids born next year, they will need an eID device be­fore departure.”

The NSW Government has put in place a staggered implementation of eID to assist understanding and awareness. To this end, all sheep and goat movements will not be required until 1 January 2027.

These changes will improve the traceabil­ity of animals across the supply chain, help­ing us respond more effectively to disease outbreaks and ensuring the continued com­petitiveness of our agricultural industries.

The implementation is on track, with pro­cessors already having commenced scan­ning eIDs and uploading eID data to the NLIS database from 30 June 2024.

For more information on sheep and goat eID requirements visit the NSW DPIRD website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/dpi/bfs/your-role-in-biosecurity/primary-producers/nlis/eID