Local Land Services

Local Land Services priorities

Local Land Services is a new customer-focused way of delivering Government-funded agriculture and natural resource management services, advice and information in New South Wales 

Government receives recommendations from independent panel

The Local Land Services Stakeholder Reference Panel delivered its recommendations on 26 April 2013 to the State Government, after almost six months of community consultation. The Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, will now consider the recommendations. 

From January 2014, Local Land Services will deliver functions now provided by Catchment Management Authorities, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities, and the agriculture advisory services of the Department of Primary Industries.

Landowners will still be able to access existing services from DPI, LHPAs and CMAs in the interim.

Community consultation 

The Minister appointed an independent Local Land Services Stakeholder Reference Panel to begin statewide community consultation. 

The Panel conducted 22 workshops across NSW. The workshops were attended by more than 1,500 people, and received 2,000 responses in online feedback since regional and industry consultation began in October 2012. 

Dr John Keniry AM leads the Panel. Panel members include representatives from NSW Farmers, Australian Farm Institute, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities, Catchment Management Authorities, Department of Primary Industries, NSW Shires Association, Landcare and Greening Australia.   

What will the new Local Land services deliver? 

  • agricultural advice
  • plant and animal pest control and biosecurity
  • natural resource management
  • emergency management.

Local Land Services benefits 

Local Land Services will:

  • integrate advisory services
  • enable strong representation by local service users
  • reduce administrative costs
  • improve management of region-specific issues
  • enhance transparency and accountability
  • deliver better outcomes for State and regional priorities.

Background 

The Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, announced the formation of Local Land Services on 4 October 2012.

Local Land Services will be regionally-based, semi-autonomous, statutory organisations, governed by locally-elected and skills-based Board members. One central Local Land Services Board of Chairs will be made up of representatives from each Local Board and will be accountable to the Minister for Primary Industries.

Each Local Land Services office will develop operational management plans that will prioritise service delivery on a regional basis, reflecting regional priorities. Individual Local Land Services will be independently audited to ensure accountability and delivery against priorities.

Local Land Services will be funded via direct budget contributions from the NSW Government, ratepayer funds and a continuation of natural resource grant funding via the State Government and Australian Government. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal will be asked to periodically review the rating system.

More information