Young will be placed with Cootamundra, Harden, Gundagai, Tumut, Junee, Wagga, Lockhart, Temora, Coolamon, Bland, Narrandera, Leeton, Murrumbidgee, Griffith and parts of Hay and Carrathool in the new agricultural zone. 

Local Land Services (LLS) is an amalgamation between the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) extension services, the Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) and Livestock Health and Pest Authorities(LHPAs) slated for January 2014.

The government accepted 21 of the 25 Stakeholder Reference Panel governance recommendations.

Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson also announced yesterday that the local boards of each region would be made up of seven members, including four government appointed and three ratepayer elected. She said there would be one board of chairs with an independent chair.

She said this grouping would address the evidence of significant weaknesses in corporate governance and accountability highlighted in the Ryan Review and reflect the vital need for Local Land Services to be accountable to ratepayers and taxpayers.

“Local Land Services will be an organisation of considerable financial capacity. Over a four year period the projected revenues are over $500 million so we need to ensure this organisation has the skills and expertise to set it on the right course,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

She says the steps taken by the state government to improve service delivery and reduce duplication would redirect $5 million to frontline agricultural advisory and extension services each year.

“These funds will deliver extra capacity and flexibility to local boards to hire more employees, form new partnerships or secure services from other providers,” she said. 

Ms Hodgkinson said decisions were based on the ideas and expectations gathered over the last 18 months through the LLS consultation process, as well as the findings of the Ryan Review of LHPAs.

Ms Hodgkinson said from January 2014, the advice and services from LLS or the DPI would be available from 139 towns across NSW, an increase of 22 locations through bringing LHPAs into the network. 

Full details of the NSW Government decisions on LLS regions, governance structure and services are available via the DPI website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.