Frontline teams helping protect local livestock
23 Feb 2024
Ever wondered why Local Land Services biosecurity officers and vets are often at local saleyards? Our team play a critical role in helping safeguard agriculture in NSW.
Our Biosecurity Officers and District Veterinarians regularly attend livestock sales to help ensure the health and welfare of animals in the market and protect our wider industries.
Together with saleyard staff and transport operators, our teams ensure animals are fit for transport, whilst also keeping an eye out for diseases which could have serious repercussions for the region.
“We regularly inspect livestock present at the sales – particularly looking for notifiable diseases - such as endemic virulent footrot in sheep or exotic disease threats such as foot and mouth disease in all ruminant animals,” says District Veterinarian Kelli Griffin, based in the Monaro.
In 2023, South East LLS biosecurity staff and district vets undertook 199 animal disease surveillance investigations and supported 23 animal welfare cases across the region.
As Authorised Officers under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015, Local Land Services help monitor for compliance within the National Livestock Identification Scheme (NLIS). Monitoring compliance within the NLIS system enables us as an industry to rapidly respond to a major food safety or disease threat.
Ms Griffin is reminding local producers that all livestock are required to be permanently identified prior to leaving their property of origin in NSW.
“All cattle are required to have an individual electronic NLIS ear tag (or rumen bolus and matching ear tag), whilst sheep and goats must be tagged with a visually readable ear tag with the relevant property identification code or PIC,” said Ms Griffin.
NSW will soon be transitioning sheep and goats to electronic identification tags and eID in sheep and goats will be mandatory from 1 January 2025.
If you have questions regarding the health, welfare or traceability requirements of your livestock, don’t hesitate to chat to us at the next sales or contact us at your local LLS office.
Or visit our website for more information: Moving and selling livestock - Local Land Services (nsw.gov.au)
Media Contact:
For more information, please contact Chris Finley on 0477 193 761 or chris.finley@lls.nsw.gov.au