About 50 frustrated people travelled hundreds of kilometres from across NSW to join forces against what was the latest indignation over Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) reforms.

NSW Lands Minister, Tony Kelly, has pledged to protect the State’s “long paddocks” once the Department of Lands takes control of them when RLPBs are merged in December but yesterday’s movement led by 43-year-old lifelong drover, Robert Groth, “Harvenvale”, Boggabri, aims to stop the TSRs being handed over.

The rally’s organisers estimated they had six months to stop the department’s move on stock routes and formed a “Mates of the TSRs” committee at the Dubbo saleyards public meeting.

“I think it’s a matter of people realising they’ve got to pull together,” Mr Groth said.

“We’ve got to be there to stop any plans to shut stock routes – it’s no good waiting until it’s all over.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to save stock in a drought, if you’re an apiarist, or Mum and Dad and the kids wanting to fly a kite on the river, if they get to the point where they close the routes, what will be left for the future?”

Popular country music singer, John Williamson, jumped on board and was applauded at yesterday’s gathering when, in an absentee message, he pledged his willingness to become a patron for Australian stock routes.

His message went so far as to suggest shutting off stock routes would be as bad as banning the iconic Australian song, Waltzing Matilda.

Extract from an article in this week's The Land, Thursday, August 28.