Local Land Services (LLS) staffing levels have been thrust into the spotlight with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall questioning exiting and ongoing full-time and contract employment numbers.
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Mr Marshall used Parliament on Tuesday to put forward several questions on the notice paper to Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty about LLS jobs numbers for each region.
Mr Marshall has asked how many full-time equivalent staff and contractors were employed by the LLS, in each region as of June 30 for the past five years as well as what the projected staffing levels would be for the 2023-24 financial year.
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Mr Marshall said there were concerns some staff funding for LLS biosecurity programs would not continue past this month.
He said in 2021 (when he was then Agriculture Minister), more than $100 million was allocated in the budget as additional base funding for LLS biosecurity programs, which ends June 30, 2023.
"At a time where farmers are facing a growing list of biosecurity threats, it would be utter madness to reduce the budget of LLS and cut frontline staff," Mr Marshall told The Land.
"The Minister must ensure LLS has every resource it needs to help farmers combat and remove these threats especially feral pests, which are growing rapidly in numbers.
"The two-year biosecurity funding increase expires this week and the ag sector needs to know whether this effort will be continued or not, or whether new funding has been allocated to ensure at a critical time there are no job losses or reduction in pest eradication programs."
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Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the NSW government was currently reviewing all expenditure and would hand down the budget on September 19.
"We have inherited a budget blackhole. As we go through the budget line-by-line we are discovering more and more unfunded programs," Ms Moriarty said.
"Irrespective of the unfunded programs and budget blackhole, the NSW government is committed to the biosecurity of our state. It will be a priority of any budgetary discussions had."
She did not answer The Land's question about whether there had been LLS job cuts. Ms Moriarty has until August 1 to respond in writing to the Parliament to Mr Marshall's question.
