TSR review: Graziers say stock routes need love

UPDATED 12.30pm: THE state’s Travelling Stock Route user group says the future of the Long Paddock depends on whether it is better-resourced from here on – and whether state government’s engagement ahead of an impending review is genuine. 

But crossbench opponents say holding a review of the the 2 million-hectare estate so soon after passing Crown land reforms, and particularly in the wake of other asset sales, hinted at plans to alienate the routes from public use.  

Lands Minister Paul Toole said this morning a review of the state’s stock reserves was “not about a sell-off”, or a precursor to selling them, but a process to feed future decisions about how the land could be “best reserved, managed and owned”.

There are 6400 parcels of Crown land for TSRs in NSW – serving as mustering corridors, pasture reserves during drought, and spaces for public recreation, apiaries, and conservation. 

Philip Dartnell - consultant and spokesman for the TSR lobby group Combined Action to Retain Routes for Travelling Stock (CARRTS) – said ministerial staff had consulted the group this week, and that discussions were continuing. 

Mr Toole’s announcement this morning touched on a 2013 review that said many stock routes weren’t being used for their original purpose any more, and Mr Dartnell said he understood the merits of charting the resource. 

“While (government) has some understanding of TSRs, they don’t have a really good or clear definition of which ones are used or should be used,” Mr Dartnell said. 

“The way it was put to us is that there is more risk of something happening to some parcels of crown land if we don’t understand them, don’t have an up-to-date picture of them. An out of sight, out of mind sort of thing.

“But we’re aware that government is government, and you have to keep an eye on things. Anything could be happening below the surface.”

A quarter of NSW’s stock reserves - about 500,000ha - is maintained by Local Land Services (LLS). Most of these routes are in eastern and central NSW, and according to Mr Dartnell, the main focus of the CARRTS group. 

The remaining 1.5 million ha is managed by the NSW Department of Industry via tenures granted under Crown lands laws. Most of these are west of Walgett, Nyngan, and Hay.  

Mr Dartnell said the future of TSR network would depend on whether many stock routes were judged on their current state - or whether management was improved.

“A lot of the rarely-used TSRs are not simply a result of no-body using them, it’s because there has been so many problems, bureaucratic problems, a lack of connectivity.”

“So when we’re asked what we think is going to happen, there are two very different answers. 

“And that’s whether you answer the question based on the current state of stock routes, which is not very rosy, or, if they were looked after properly.”

“It’s a poor funding model. As much as we have a lot of gripes with LLS, we’re also very empathetic with them in that they are so constricted. It is just unsustainable.”

Shooters and Fishers Party Upper House MP Robert Brown said people in the bush should be worried given the state coalition’s history of public asset sales. 

“Rural communities should be concerned that TSRs will be 'sold' -  a'la paper roads - or similarly alienated from their community use by placing them into no-go reserves that lock-out people,” Mr Brown said. 

Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said “Having a complete and accurate map across the state will be vital in ensuring the future of TSRs aligns with livestock, production, recreation, Aboriginal, conservation and community priorities.”

The Nature Conservation Council says the review should identify for each region:

You can make a submission to the TSR review here.