What are they?

The grazing industry uses a network of Crown reserves called Travelling Stock Reserves (TSR) for moving or grazing stock around the state.

There are currently more than 6,500 TSRs on Crown land in NSW covering an area of approximately 2 million hectares. Almost 1.5 million hectares, or 75%, of the TSR network is in the western division of NSW.

The TSR network was established more than 150 years ago to allow the movement of livestock to and from markets. Many of these routes are believed to have followed pathways used traditionally by Aboriginal people to travel across country and many are adjacent to or follow tracks and rivers.

While TSRs are still important for travelling and grazing stock they are also widely recognised for playing a key role in landscape connectivity and biodiversity conservation across NSW. This is because they form corridors of Crown land between other landholdings. However, in the western division the TSRs form part of the existing leasehold land and are managed in the same way as the rest of the land. They are not fenced, are grazed in the same way as the surrounding land and are difficult to distinguish physically on the ground.

Source: Travelling stock – Crown land in New South Wales (nsw.gov.au) 

 

Checking out Cullenbone Travelling Stock Route

This picturesque site has been used by the Mudgee community for recreation for many years. It is on the Eastern side of Castlereagh Highway opposite Kaludabah Road and is classified High Conservation Value.

MDEG members joined with Cudgegong Field Naturalists and Mudgee Local Land Services for an enjoyable morning on 1st August 2021.

  • A ute-load of rubbish was removed from this beautiful stretch of the Cudgegong River.
  • 31 bird species were spotted
  • A platypus was spied

Find out about TSR management in the Central Tablelands here

An interactive map of all TSRs in NSW available here.