The NSW Government has released the review of the NSW Livestock Health and Pest Authorities (LHPA's) for public comment. The review examined the structure, effectiveness and efficiency of LHPAs, as well as the ongoing role of the organisation and its rating system. The review recommends fundamental and far reaching changes to the delivery of rural landholder services in NSW.

The review was conducted by an independent consultant, Mr Terry Ryan, and involved a series of regional consultation meetings, targetted meetings with key stakeholder groups, the release of an Issues Paper and a call for public submissions.

The Report which has now been released by Mr Ryan recommends major changes, including:

• A staged process to deliver a new regional framework to deliver frontline biosecurity functions and a broader range of services;


• Developing a new risk-based funding model that takes into account the need for appropriate contributions from industry, landholders and government; and


• Implementing a management system to improve service delivery, reduce the overall costs of operation and improve transparency and accountability.

The Report is now being open for a further period of public consultation. The NSW Government is seeking feedback on the Report’s recommendations before any decisions are made.

The report is available for download here [1]. Comments can be submitted until 5.00 pm on Wednesday 23rd May 2012.

For further background to the review, and details on how to provide submissions, visit the website at: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/about/legislation-acts/review/lhpa [2]. For further information, contact Julia Trethowan: 63 913 618.