Specialist NSW Police rural crime investigators from the Western Region were among those from across NSW, Queensland, Victoria and WA who converged on Batemans Bay for this week's conference.

There were 740 head of cattle and 6580 sheep reported stolen since the start of the year.

In the state's west, the theft of firearms and diesel and trespassing by illegal hunters also kept rural crime investigators busy, according to Western Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie.

"Recently we've had a number of firearm thefts, especially where properties are unattended and people are breaking in and accessing gun safes," he said.

Rural crime investigators across NSW had also been involved with cases dealing with animal cruelty, rural arson, firearm offences, meat substitution at abattoirs and farm-based cannabis plantations and drug labs.

Mr McKechnie said rural crime investigators at the conference had been discussing the latest trends and tactics in fighting crime.

"Some of the training the investigators have undergone includes things like what happens when they discover bones, which often happens in the state's west, and we also had a presentation from the counter-terrorism unit, given the opportunities that isolated rural properties present to people involved in that kind of activity," he said.

Ways to harness social media in order to tackle rural crime was discussed at the conference, along with the NILS database, Assistant Commissioner McKechnie said.

Also included on the program were presentations about firearms compliance, the Australian Wool Exchange and Local Land Services legislation.