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This is my penultimate message for a Newsletter produced by the New England LHPA. It is suffice to say that this Authority is working along as usual, and readying ourselves to take the coming change to the Local Land Services (LLS) in our stride.

A run of mild, moister weather for New England has been a blessed change from our usual chilly winters. With a forecast for these moderate patches to be interspersed by icy blasts, plants and animals are likely to be quite perplexed and management practices tested somewhat.

Recent changes announced regarding Sheep Health Statements and the implications for the management of OJD has concerned sheep producers. The Board of Directors recently met with new Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall to discuss the transition to LLS and other local issues.

Results of the aerial baiting program conducted by the New England Authority reveal that significant numbers of wild dogs, foxes and feral cats have taken the baits distributed in May. Recent research data collated by Dr Guy Ballard has shown good pick up of baits with no impact to quolls. The aerial baiting program was able to proceed with the contribution of meat baits and the efforts of the many land-holders in the twenty two wild dog groups throughout our region. Our thanks to the landholders who contribute their time to this program and for the cooperation we have received in the last few years with changes to the program

Wishing you all longer days and more rainfall.

Yours sincerely

Robyn Jackson, Chair

August 2013 Inside this Issue:

Page 1 Message from the Chairman

Lodgement of Annual Return of Land & Stock

Page 2Survey of Prevalence of Leptospirosis, Pestivirus

and Neosporosis in cattle within the New England

LHPA

Routine Stock Movement Permit

Page 3An update on Temporary Stock Zones and signage,

relevant to routine livestock movements

Page 4Measure It - You Might Be

Surprised at the Results

Page 5LHPA offers training for the

use of 1080 and Pindone

Sheep Electronic Tagging around the corner if we

don’t get it right

Page 6New OJD Program started

on 1stJuly, 2013

2013 Wild Dog aerial baiting

Page 7National Sheep Health

Statement (NSHS)

Page 8ProFarm Short Courses

August - November 2013

NEW ENGLAND LHPA NEWSMESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

LODGEMENT OF ANNUAL RETURN OF LAND & STOCKIt is a requirement of the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 that ratepayers submit an Annual Return by August 31st each year. All landholders who have received the form must fill it in even if you don’t carry any livestock. It is also extremely important all landholders who were sent forms fill out the appropriate details, even if stock on the property is not owned by the landholders. You will be able to lodge the form on-line. A user reference and password will be supplied on the Return to enable you to submit it on-line. On-line submission is the quickest and most efficient method of lodgement. If you do not have access to the internet, you can attend our offices and staff will help you lodge the Return.

Rates are now overdue and accruing interest. If you would like to enter into a payment plan to clear the debt please contact

Debbie Cuneen on (02) 6732 1200.

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Office Locations:

1 Greenaway Street GLEN INNES NSW 2370 Phone: 6732 1200 Fax: 6732 1420

126-130 Taylor Street ARMIDALE NSW 2350 Phone: 6772 2366 Fax: 6772 7274

142 High Street TENTERFIELD NSW 2372 Phone: 6736 1355 Fax: 6736 2614

All correspondence to: General Manager PO Box 108 GLEN INNES NSW 2370 admin.new.england@lhpa.org.au

Directors:

Robyn Jackson Chair 0428 220 064 Jim Swales Deputy Chair 02 6778 9135

Charlie McCowen 0427 327 197 Hugh Cordingley 02 6778 2165 Nigel Scott 0428 214 543 Annabel Sides 0407 705 209 Brian Tomalin 0427 693 626 Bill O’Halloran 0421 564 047

District Veterinarians from all three offices within the New England LHPA are conducting a serosurvey of breeder cattle within the Authority area during July, August and September 2013.

Reproductive losses in cattle are a major source of economic loss in the Australian cattle industry and in many situations infectious diseases are implicated. Some of these diseases also have a zoonotic potential and can impact on the health of farmers and their families or workers. Many of the more common diseases can be minimised by a variety of control strategies including vaccination and improved biosecurity.

Anecdotally in the New England region of NSW the most commonly identified infectious causes of reproductive loss are Leptospirosis, Pestivirus, Vibriosis and Neospora.

To conduct this survey, LHPA veterinarians will require diagnostic blood samples from a large number of cattle. We are asking producers help us to collect these blood samples by allowing us access to some of their cattle when they are yarded under normal herd management.

Cattle producers within the Authority will be

randomly contacted and those invited to participate are encouraged to respond. Participation will involve accommodating a visit by the District Veterinarian to collect samples from a number of cattle in addition to answering a short questionnaire on management and production within the herd.

There is no fee involved with participation in the survey. Participating producers will not only contribute to improving knowledge of some important diseases within the local area, they will also receive information on the exposure of their own cattle to these diseases in their herd. Producers can then access tailored information on managing and minimising the impact of any reproductive herd health issues identified in their herd during the survey.

If you are selected and contacted to participate, please take the time to consider whether you can help and return the participation form promptly. The availability of safe cattle handling facilities is an important criterion of participation for the safety of all involved. For more information on the serosurvey contact your local District Veterinarian.

SURVEY OF PREVALENCE OF LEPTOSPIROSIS, PESTIVIRUS AND NEOSPOROSIS IN CATTLE

WITHIN THE NEW ENGLAND LHPA

Do you walk or transport stock between your holdings, if so, you may require a Routine Stock Movement Permit. These permits can be issued for walking stock, vehicular movements of stock or both. Use of the permit is restricted to owners of stock and its issue allows them to move stock between landholdings within the same Authority District. The permit will normally indicate any restrictions on the distance to be travelled. In general, Routine Stock Movement Permits may be issued:-

• To walk stock, whether large or small, or move stock by vehicle, over any public road or travelling stock reserve between holdings in the Authority district occupied by the applicant, and• The journey must be completed in daylight hours in one day if the stock are walking.

The Routine Stock Permit does not authorise:-• The movement of stock by vehicle if the journey would take more than 24 hours• The walking of stock overnight between sunset and sunrise• Movement of stock to and from saleyards or abattoirs

The advantage of a Routine Stock Movement Permit is that stock owners may obtain the permit to cover a particular period of time, and pay an annual fee to do so. By having a valid permit, owners are not required to write out a Transported Stock Statement or obtain a Stock Permit for every stock movement between their holdings.To make application for a Routine Stock Movement Permit please contact our offices to obtain an Application Form.

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AN UPDATE ON TEMPORARY STOCK ZONES AND SIGNAGE, RELEVANT TO ROUTINE LIVESTOCK MOVEMENTS

 A person who owns or has charge of stock that are grazing or walking on a public road may set aside the whole or part of that public road as a temporary stock zone. A temporary stock zone is to be designated by a temporary stock zone sign exhibited at the entry point of the zone to which it relates.  The signs are required to be positioned no greater than 5 kilometres and no less than 200 metres between the sign and the place where a vehicle being driven towards the stock would first encounter the stock.   The sign needs to be positioned so the driver of a vehicle being driven towards the stock along the road is warned of the presence or likely presence of the stock a reasonable distance before the vehicle would first encounter the stock.  A stock warning sign that depicts a particular kind of stock applies to every other kind of stock.  

        

 Correct placement of signage is crucial in maintaining safety of road users however the removal of those signs following the stock movement is important. Leaving signs out for prolonged periods following the completion of a stock movement may result in driver complacency and future disregard.   Please note the following:    Clause 21 (3) of the Rural Lands Protection Regulation 2010    The person must remove the temporary stock zone signage when the stock are no longer on or near a road that is not a permanent stock zone.  Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units  

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MEASURE IT - YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT THE RESULTS

A recent trial in the Upper Hunter monitored the impact of different worm control options in early weaned calves and revealed some surprising results. The trials were conducted on four properties using mostly calves weighing 160-180kg, although some yearling cattle were also included.

In contrast to on-farm trials in the NSW Central Tablelands that showed repeat treatments with a long acting, injectable wormicide (Cydectin LA®) produced superior weight gain in weaner cattle compared to pour on and control treatments, the Upper Hunter trial showed no difference between products. In fact where pastures had been spelled prior to grazing by the weaners, there were no differences between treated and untreated animals.

The Hunter trial was initiated in early 2013 because of the extremely dry 2012 spring and the early weaned calves were considered to be highly susceptible to worms. However, NSW DPI veterinary parasitologist Stephen Love, believes that the dry spring probably reduced worm larvae survival on pastures. “In general, the Central Tablelands is a cooler wetter environment that is more favourable for worm survival and these results support that theory. It also confirms the value of resting pastures for four months, particularly by grazing from susceptible classes of stock, prior to stocking with weaners.”

Three properties compared macrocyclic lactone (‘mectin’) ‘pour-ons’ with a long acting injectable product and no differences were found between weight gains from either weaners or yearling cattle. One Merriwa producer found no additional weight gain from any treatments compared with untreated control animals 80 days after treatment.

On the other end of the spectrum, one producer who does not generally use a worm control product found that weight gain increased by 20% in both mixed weaners and yearlings after treatment with Cydectin LA®. Another feature of that property was that untreated British bred yearling heifers gained 1.7kg/d on pasture over the 42 days of the trial, while treated animals gained 2.1kg. While those exceptional growth rates may have been the result of some compensatory gain after the extremely dry spring, the net result was that treated animals gained an addition 20kg liveweight or around $35 per animal, over the 42 days of that trial.

NSW DPI Beef Development Officer Todd Andrews, highlighted the value of producers testing the impact of inputs. “Beef producers have to be tight to make money. That doesn’t mean that not spending any money is the best policy, but that the value of every input cost is justified in terms of animal production or some other measure.”

“These results suggest that pour-on products are still suitable for the Hunter region and that good, non-chemical management can also reduce worm burdens. But I would highlight the value of producers weighing cattle to monitor the impacts of parasite control and other inputs such as vitamin and mineral supplements.”

Steve Love, State Parasite Co-ordinator with NSWDPI also added these comments on the results:

• These are on-farm results and it is hard to control for all variables as might happen on a research farm.

• The aim was to see if a long-acting injectable was worthwhile in all cases compared to shorter acting products. Todd fully realises of course that the variables include not only long-acting vs shorter-acting, but also different routes of administration and different active ingredients

• One of the pour-ons used was Dectomax (doramectin), one was Ivomec (ivermectin) and the other was Cydectin (moxidectin).

• A particular drench or drenching program might be the best in many situations, but this does not mean all situations.

• A main point coming out of the exercise is the need to objectively evaluate what you are doing, especially given the finding from NSW and Victorian trials (see below) that worm egg counts have limitations in cattle, particularly when it comes to predicting likely production losses from roundworms.

• So, consider on-going evaluation of your worm control program, what drenches you use, and whether you have drench resistance. Objectively assessing these might have a big impact on cost of production and/or productivity, and therefore the bottom line.

URLs for reports on Central Tablelands (NSW) and Victorian (MLA-supported) ‘producer demonstration site’ (PDS) trials:

Eppleston J. http://www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Final-report-details?projectid=15260 [http://tinyurl.com/mvf5hsq]

Rolls N and Webb Ware J. http://www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/Final-report-details?projectid=15157 [http://tinyurl.com/povr6yu]

Todd AndrewsBeef Development Officer, DPI Armidale

0429 987 405

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LHPA OFFERS TRAINING FOR THE USE OF 1080 AND PINDONE

In response to concerns from landholders regarding the certification required to obtain and lay 1080 bait products, in 2010 The Livestock Health and Pest Authorities developed a training package that could be delivered to landholders in a half day format at a cost of $44. So far 147 landholders in the New England LHPA have undertaken the course and left with very positive feedback.

Quite often landholders attend AQF3 chemical training to obtain authorisation to use 1080 poison baits – and for no other reason. A common complaint from landholders that attended this type of training was, all they learnt about was how to calibrate a boom spray, and nothing to do with 1080 baits.

The LHPA 1080/Pindone training course is delivered by local LHPA staff and covers topics such as baiting techniques, toxicity, storage, transport, legislation and WH&S. Landholders completing the course are issued with a certification card and will remain accredited to use 1080 and Pindone for 5 years.

The next courses are being run in;

Tenterfield Tuesday 3rd September, Glen Innes Wednesday 4th September and

Armidale Thursday 5th September 2013 Please call your local office to register your interest in attending a future course.

It should be noted that the AQF chemical application courses remain a requirement for use of any other pesticide.

SHEEP ELECTRONIC TAGGING AROUND THE CORNER IF WE DON’T GET IT RIGHT

The Victorian sheep industry has decided to adopt individual, electronic tagging in sheep. The NSW sheep industry is strongly opposed to this move. In an effort to prove that our current system is good enough, you would have noticed our staff having a heavier presence at sheep sales (right across NSW).

We will be checking NVDs and making sure all the PICs of the consignment are recorded and all sheep are tagged. Most people do the right thing but in this instance, a few may end up spoiling it for the majority and we may end up having to have electronic tags in sheep.

Please remember when selling sheep you MUST:1. Record ALL PICs of the consignment on the NVD.2. Tag ALL sheep

From the 1st July, 2013 any producer who fails to complete their NVD correctly will receive a $100 administration charge from New England LHPA and second offences will receive up to a $550 fine.

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NEW OJD PROGRAM STARTED ON 1ST JULY, 2013The new National OJD program no longer recognises prevalence areas but instead relies on regional biosecurity areas and a newly designed Sheep Health Statement (SHS) to help with making a risk assessment. Regional Biosecurity Areas are the same as Exclusion Areas – they have producer support, low disease prevalence and a plan in place to minimise disease spread. A Regional Biosecurity Plan has been developed by the local sheep industry to enable us to minimise the chances of importing OJD and to also keep our trade with Queensland.

So what do the changes mean for producers in the New England LHPA?

A NAME CHANGE….

Essentially there will be a name change as we will move from being the “New England Exclusion Area” to the “Northern Tablelands Regional Biosecurity Area”. (This can be entered as “NTRBA” in section A3 of the new SHS.)

A NEW SHEEP HEALTH STATEMENT……

Despite the Sheep Health Statement no longer being mandatory, sheep producers in the New England will need to continue using them in order to keep our “Regional Biosecurity Area” status.

FAILURE TO NOT USE SHEEP HEALTH STATEMENTS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE RISK OF BUYING SHEEP INFECTED WITH OJD AND FOOTROT

When buying sheep you will no longer be able to use the ABC points on a SHS to assess if sheep are high or low risk of having OJD. Instead entry guidelines have been developed to assist producers in making the assessment. These entry guidelines are also consistent with Queensland’s entry requirements and if followed will allow you to maintain access to Queensland markets as well as minimise the chance of buying in OJD.

When buying Sheep outside of the Northern Tablelands either:

1. Buy from another Regional Biosecurity Area OR 2. Buy from a property that answers YES to either question C1 or C2 on the new SHS

2013 WILD DOG AERIAL BAITINGThe annual 2013 Wild Dog aerial baiting campaign coordinated by the New England Livestock Health and Pest Authority has once again been delivered and considered a success by all involved. Some key outcomes of this year’s campaign included:

• 22 Wild Dog Control Associations submitted applications to aerial bait• 267 landholders directly involved with aerial baiting with an additional 100+ landholders participating in ground baiting at the same time• 1,644 kilometres aerial bait line on private and state forest land• In excess of 65,000 baits distributed by air • Increase of approximately 260 km of aerial baiting lines compared to 2012• Multi-stakeholder program including National Parks and Wildlife, Forest Corporation NSW, Mid Coast and Central North LHPA, Crown Lands NSW and private

landholders.

The aerial baiting program commences in late April and finishes in early June each year, and covers an area from the QLD border in the north to Nundle in the south.

Landholders need to remain vigilant and report sightings and predation to the LHPA.

For more information on the aerial baiting program or Wild Dogs please contact your local LHPA office or Wild Dog Control Association.

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NATIONAL SHEEP HEALTH STATEMENT (SHS) Completing this Sheep Health Statement (SHS) will assist prospective buyers to determine the suitability of these sheep for their enterprise. Although the SHS is voluntary in most states, it is mandatory in SA. (Version3, July 2013) Attached to accompanying NVD/Waybill No.

PIC of the consignment property

B: FOOTROT / LICE / OVINE BRUCELLOSIS B1. To the best of my knowledge, all consigned sheep are from a flock free of VIRULENT

FOOTROT. Yes □ No □ B2. To the best of my knowledge, all consigned sheep are from a flock free of LICE. Yes □ No □ B3. All consigned sheep are from a flock in an OVINE BRUCELLOSIS Scheme.

If Yes, Flock Accreditation No. (except Qld) ................................ Expiry Date...../..... / 20...... Yes □ No □

C: OVINE JOHNE’S DISEASE (OJD) C1. All consigned sheep are from a SheepMAP flock. (see note 2) If yes, Status: .......................... Year commenced in SheepMAP: .................... Yes □ No □ C2. All consigned sheep are from a flock with a negative test for OJD. (see note 3) If Yes, which test?

Faecal 350 within the past 24 months □ Abattoir 500 within the past 24 months □

Abattoir 150 within the past 12 months □ Other (see note 4)................................... □

Yes □ No □

C3. To the best of my knowledge, all consigned sheep are from a flock not infected or suspected of being infected with OJD. (see note 5) Yes □ No □

C4. All consigned lambs are ‘T’ tag lambs. (see note 6) Yes □ No □ C5. (a) All consigned sheep are Approved Vaccinates. (see note 7)

(b) If Yes, I have been continuously vaccinating all retained lambs in the consignment flock for OJD for ............... years.

Yes □ No □

C6. Sheep INTRODUCED onto the consignment property in the last 5 years were from a flock with: (see notes 2,3 and 7 - multiple answers may be applicable)

SheepMAP accreditation □ Negative Faecal 350 □ Negative Abattoir 500 □

Negative Abattoir 150 □ All Approved Vaccinates □ Unknown status □

Other □ (see note 8) ............................................................................................................

D: TREATMENT INFORMATION OF CONSIGNED SHEEP Treatment Product Date of Last Treatment External Parasite Treatment ........ /........ /…….. Internal Parasite Treatment ........ /........ /…….. Vaccination (other than OJD) ........ /........ /……..

E: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (optional - see note 9)

F: DECLARATION (see note 10) I (full name): ......................................................................................................................................... Address: ................................................................................................................................................ declare that, I am the owner and/or person responsible for the husbandry of the sheep in this consignment and all the information on this Sheep Health Statement is true and correct:

Signed: .......................................................... Date: .......... /......... / 20............. Phone Number: ............................................. Fax number/email: ....................................................... Producers are advised to retain appropriate records to support this declaration. Persons making false statements may be liable under fair trading and other relevant state legislation.

A: BIOSECURITY INFORMATION A1. All consigned sheep were born on the consignment property. Yes □ No □ A2. The number of different sources of sheep that have been INTRODUCED onto the

consignment property in the last 5 years is: 0 (closed flock) □ 1- 5 □ 6+ □ Rams Only □

A3. All consigned sheep are from a property with a livestock biosecurity plan. (see note 1) If Yes, Property Plan □ Regional Biosecurity Plan □.........................................(name)

Yes □ No □

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Note: Course dates/locations may change due to demand.

FOR ENQUIRIES OR TO REGISTER PHONE Cassie Gardiner 6763 1276 or Julie Chapman 6763 1285

or email us at tamworth.profarm@dpi.nsw.gov.au

PROFARM SHORT COURSES

AUGUST – NOVEMBER 2013

COURSE NAME DATE/LOCATION Off-Road Four Wheel Drive Training 14-15 August - Bingara

Pole Saw Operation 22 August – Glen InnesOff-Road Four Wheel Drive Training 26-27 August - WollongbarChainsaw – Trim & Cut Felled Trees 28-29 August – Glen Innes

Pole Saw Operation 30 August – Glen InnesFencing Conventional 4 OR 5 September - Mudgee

SMARTtrain AQF3 Chem Application - Initial 3-4 September - GraftonSMARTtrain AQF3 Chem Application - Reacc 4 September - Grafton

SMARTtrain AQF4 Chem Risk Mgt - Initial 5-6 September - GraftonSMARTtrain AQF4 Chem Risk Mgt - Reacc 6 September - Grafton

Safe Tractor Operation 4-5 Sept. - WollongbarWorking Dogs 7-8 September – Glen Innes

Weed Movement – Inspect/Clean Machinery 10 September - TamworthOff-Road Four Wheel Drive Training 11-12 September - Wellington

Faecal Egg Count For Worms 18 September - TamworthStockSafe – Livestock Handling 18-19 Sept. - Wollongbar

Quad Bike Handling 25 September - ArmidaleQuad Bike Handling 26 September – Armidale

Off-Road Four Wheel Drive Training 9–10 October – Coffs HarbourRecognising Grasses 15 October - NarrabriIdentifying Grasses 16 October - Narrabri

Beginning In Bees (weekend) 19-20 October - TamworthChainsaw – Trim & Cut Felled Trees 21-22 October – Glen Innes

Chainsaw – Fall Trees Manually 23-24 October – Mt.MitchellVegetation Survey and Assessment 23-24 October - Moree

Pole Saw Operation 25 October – Glen InnesSafe Tractor Operation 30-31 October – Glen Innes

SMARTtrain AQF3 Chem Application - Initial 5-6 November - TamworthSMARTtrain AQF3 Chem Application - Reacc 6 November - Tamworth

SMARTtrain AQF4 Chem Risk Mgt - Initial 7-8 November - TamworthSMARTtrain AQF4 Chem Risk Mgt - Reacc 8 November - Tamworth

Off-Road Four Wheel Drive Training 13-14 November - ArmidaleFaecal Egg Count For Worms 20 November - Tamworth

Quad Bike Handling 27 November - TamworthQuad Bike Handling 28 November - Tamworth