IT IS certain that Dubbo will lose jobs in a cost cutting amalgamation of the Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA) and parts of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to establish the Local Land Services (LLS), according to the NSW opposition.
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Member for Dubbo Troy Grant said speculation was pointless on what the changes would mean for staffing requirements for the LHPA and CMA.
A duplication of services is the reason for the reshuffle by the NSW government, which Mr Grant described as "inefficient and unsustainable."
"The cost of having over 200 board members between the LHPA and the CMA is over $7 million," he said.
"The administrative cost alone of the CMA consumes up to 30 per cent of their funding, precious dollars that never hit the ground."
Opposition spokesman for Primary Industries Steve Whan said hundreds of jobs and dozens of offices across NSW would be threatened by the changes.
"It will certainly see offices close in Dubbo and people being put off," he said.
Mr Whan said there had been no detail provided about the new structures, jobs or delivery models of the Local Land Services.
"I believe in the long term there will be less services," he said.
"I am quite concerned, particularly with the future of the DPI extension offices."
The LLS will replace 13 CMA's, 14 LHPA's and agricultural advisory services currently provided by the DPI.
The NSW Natural Resources Commissioner Dr John Keniry AM will chair a Reference Panel to oversee the construction of the new Local Land Services.
"Given that Dr Keniry has yet to convene the panel it would be pointless to speculate on what this might mean for each LHPA and CMA in terms of staffing requirements," Mr Grant said.
"The introduction of Local Land Services should not be interpreted as a simple reduction in front line services however it will involve changes to the way in which many of these services have been delivered."
Currently in Dubbo there is a Central West LHPA office which services the district on Victoria Street, two CMA offices, one for the Central West on Darling Street and another for Western on Brisbane Street, and five offices under the DPI throughout the city.