How we help
We help people make better decisions about the land they manage and assist rural and regional communities to be profitable and sustainable into the future.
Our people connect land managers and the community with advice, information, training and networking opportunities. This helps land managers grow their capacity and make more informed decisions and choices to enhance the management and productivity of land in NSW.
Our experienced staff can answer questions on topics including:
- agricultural production
- biosecurity
- land management
- farm forestry
- natural capital and natural resource management
- on-farm emergency planning.
We can support you with information, training and resources to:
- improve your agricultural productivity
- control declared pests and meet your legal obligations
- improve management of native vegetation
- sustainably manage your native forests
- manage and improve our natural resources
- prepare for and respond to emergencies and natural disasters.
Local Land Services: Who we are and what we do
Read transcriptThe Local Land Services Act
The Local Land Services Act 2013 formalised the establishment of Local Land Services in 2014. It repealed the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998, the Rural Lands Protection Amendment Act 2008 and the Catchment Management Authorities Act 2003.
The Act, supported by the Local Land Services Regulation 2014, describes the functions of our 11 local boards, the Local Land Services Board and staff agency and provides the overarching framework for our strategic plans.
Part 5A and Part 5B of the Act guide land management and farm forestry operations in NSW, setting the standards for native vegetation management and ecologically sustainable forest management.
This legislation makes NSW the only state in Australia where publicly-funded biosecurity, natural resources management, farm forestry, and agricultural advisory services are provided by a single government agency.
Our strategic direction
Our strategic objectives provide direct support for the NSW State Outcome of "productive and sustainable land use" through:
- reduced impact of invasive species and diseases
- improved emergency response and land manager recovery
- improved customer experience of our services
- sustainable and productive management of land and natural resources
- improved land manager decision-making.
Everyone in NSW benefits from well-managed landscapes and natural resources. These resources maximise economic opportunities in a safe and sustainable way.
We lead the delivery of this outcome through direct engagement with land managers. We manage public and private land to support sustainable land use and productivity.
Our vision: Vibrant communities in productive healthy landscapes.
State Outcome Indicator: Enhanced management and productivity of NSW land.
The Local Land Services state strategic plan sets the vision, goals and strategies for the organisation. It defines the organisational priorities and outlines our service delivery. This plan enables us to build resilient communities and meet local needs.
In December 2020, the Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW signed off on our 2020-30 State Strategic Plan. This new plan is high level and communicates our priorities to ensure we can report outcomes in a clear way.
Rapid advancements in technology and how it affect our industries, and our ability to improve service delivery, is significant to our future direction. We will foster innovation and adopt new ways to do business to optimise our performance.
Recognising our people are our greatest strength is a key goal of this plan. Local Land Services has built a strong reputation of working professionally and collaboratively with industry, across government and on-ground with our customers to achieve respect, trust and common goals. A commitment to stakeholder engagement is widely acknowledged as key to our future success.
Every five years, local strategic plans for each of our 11 regions are updated to ensure our customers will receive effective, regionally specific support.
In May 2021, we embarked on an extensive consultation process anchored in the use of the NSW Government’s “Have Your Say” portal. Over 2,200 people engaged with us providing feedback, new ideas and responses to a priorities survey.
Nestled under the State Strategic Plan, the new regional plans outline the way we do business. They set out how we make decisions locally and how we deliver value-for-money services, based on the needs of our customers, stakeholders and investors in each Local Land Services region.
Read more about the local strategic plans and supporting documents below.
- Central Tablelands local strategic plan
- Central West local strategic plan
- Greater Sydney local strategic plan
- Hunter local strategic plan
- Murray local strategic plan
- North Coast local strategic plan
- North West local strategic plan
- Northern Tablelands local strategic plan
- Riverina local strategic plan
- South East local strategic plan
- Western local strategic plan
The Local Land Services local strategic plans went out for public consultation on Monday 10 May 2021 and closed on Sunday 6 June 2021.
The feedback received during the consultation period was invaluable and we thank the community and our stakeholders for taking the time to comment on the local plans.
Take a look at how the online engagements performed through our snapshot report.
Core service guiding documents
Frameworks and management plans outline key priorities for our core services and help us best address the issues affecting landholders, communities and industry.
Key objectives
- Increase farm productivity and sustainability, enhance natural assets, and improve production processes.
- Producers and businesses are better prepared for climate variability and better manage and recover from major business disruptor events.
- Build strategic partnerships that drive solutions to industry scale issues and deliver services that lead to the adoption of innovation.
Key objectives:
- To drive widespread NRM practice adoption by understanding and addressing our customers’ social and behavioural drivers.
- To help our customers realise returns from adoption of improved NRM practices.
- To take action on the top threats to the health and resilience of NSW landscapes and catchments.
- To champion opportunities for Aboriginal people and communities to care for Country and enhance contemporary land management practices.
- To be the NRM service provider of choice and a trusted broker of NRM partnerships.
Travelling Stock Reserves State-wide Plan of Management is a single state-wide plan of management across NSW to ensure the future management of TSR aligns with Indigenous, conservation, livestock, production, recreation and community priorities.
The plan establishes a consistent approach to the management of TSR by Local Land Services that reflects the community’s expectations and establishes a contemporary approach for the future management and viability of TSR in NSW.
Local Land Services has a vision for vibrant communities in productive, healthy landscapes. We believe that meaningful engagement with Aboriginal people is a key part of achieving this vision. As an organisation responsible for engaging local communities in landscape management, we believe this creates unique opportunities for Local Land Services to work and walk together with Aboriginal people and other Australians.
Our Aboriginal Engagement Strategy articulates the model for engagement, partnership and opportunities for co-design between Aboriginal people and communities and Local Land Services and is designed to provide an action-oriented approach to enrich relationships, create opportunities and enhance respect for Aboriginal peoples and communities.