Govt sets RLPB merger date
Posted
The rationalisation of south-east Rural Land Protection Boards (RLPB) is a step closer, with the New South Wales Government firming up on an amalgamation date and offering funds for the restructure.
The Bombala, Braidwood, Cooma and South Coast boards will be reduced to one area as from January 1 as part of a state-wide move that will see 47 boards cut to just 14.
Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald has committed $3 million to help implement the restructure.
South Coast Board chairman Martin Sims is welcoming the amalgamation, saying it will ensure that the work done by the boards will survive in the future, and Cooma manager Rick Matts agrees.
"What they are looking at doing is probably not trying to reduce any work delivered to the farm gate, but looking to make cost savings for the ratepayers because we are ratepayer funded rather than Government funded," he said.
"We do get an amount of Government funding and the $3 million today is recognition of that.
"Basically we do operate our own budgets under the ratepayer funding, so if we can make savings for our ratepayers, then we can make progress and can exist a lot longer into the future."
