It’s a case of too many responsibilities and too little resources when it comes to Local Land Services and Crown Lands, as far as Labor spokesperson for Primary Industries and Lands Mick Veitch is concerned.
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Visiting the Goulburn Wetlands on Tuesday, Mr Veitch was treated to a tour by representatives from the FROGS (Friends and Residents of Goulburn Swampland) Landcare group before he hosted a Local Land Services discussion panel in the evening.
Mr Veitch said he had been to a number of Local Land Services [LLS] across the state.
“There is a real concern about resourcing of LLS – do they actually have enough dollars to do what governments are asking them to do?” Mr Veitch said.
“The Crown Lands Goulburn office is a shell of its former self – losing half of its jobs since 2011. In many cases the only advice available is over the phone, or referred off to offices as far away as Dubbo and Newcastle.”
Mr Veitch said things like biosecurity, biodiversity, park and native management forests had been handed to LSS and there were concerns expressed among attendees to the panel about the responsibilities of the organisation.
“It was a really forthright conversation - there were discussions about pests and weeds, the governance model of the LLS, rates and the election process,” he said.
Mr Veitch said as it stands most landholders do not vote in the board member election process and many have little knowledge of those running for the positions.
Mr Veitch said landholders with properties less than 10 hectares in size did not pay the rates, despite receiving services from the LLS.
“It was a very forthright conversation – there were 20 people in the room and I appreciated them turning up,” he said.
“They gave me some ideas that I can take back and use to help develop our policy.”
Liberal MP for Goulburn Pru Goward said the Local Land Service had taken over responsibility for the approval component of Private Native Forestry.
“Staff and budget have transferred from the EPA and this function is being integrated with LLS as part of the land management reforms,” Ms Goward said.
Mr Veitch said when it comes to Landcare, both sides of government are fully supportive.
“We need to ensure there is ongoing funding in the budget for projects like this and the coordinator program, but It has bi-partisan support,” he said.
“This is bang for your buck type stuff.”
Mr Veitch praised the work of the FROGS Landcare Group, which, since 2010, have worked to transform a 13.5 hectare council owned site into a wetland habitat.
In 2017, the group took out the Fairfax Landcare Community Group Award and a category of the 2017 NSW Landcare Awards.
Ms Goward said that additional funding for Landcare came from the Commonwealth via the National Landcare Program.
“Funding for 2018-19 will be finalised towards the end of June, 2018,” she said.
Ms Goward said the $15 million four-year Local Landcare Coordinator initiative was in its fourth year in 2018-19.
