NSW Travelling Stock Reserves

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Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) are parcels of Crown land reserved under legislation for use by travelling stock.

What is a TSR?

The term “travelling stock route’’ really has two meanings. It can refer to a chain of Travelling Stock Reserves linked together to form a route,  or it may simply refer to a particular route taken by travelling stock (which may be along a public road - see photo). In NSW travelling stock are permitted, subject to conditions or restrictions imposed by legislation, to move or graze on a Travelling Stock Reserve or a public road.

Within the context of “The Long Paddock’’, Travelling Stock Reserves will be referred to as TSRs. Note that the term TSRs does not refer to public roads. The combination of TSRs and public roads provides a network of travelling stock routes in NSW.

TSRs NSWLivestock Health and Pest Authorities manage over 500 000 hectares of TSRs in NSW.

TSRs provide pasture reserves for travelling or grazing stock. These reserves can be  beneficial in times of drought, bushfire or flood. They are also used for public recreation, apiary sites and for conservation.

Livestock Health and Pest Authorities manage the land to strike a balance between the needs of travelling or grazing stock and the conservation of native species.

TroughLivestock Health and Pest Authority management of TSRs includes:

  • authorising and monitoring stock, recreation and apiary site use
  • controlling noxious weeds
  • controlling pest animals and insects
  • provision and maintenance of fencing, watering points and holding yards
  • consideration of land management and animal health legislation.


To ensure that TSRs are managed in a sustainable manner, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities work cooperatively with drovers, apiarists, adjoining landholders, community groups, Catchment Management Authorities, all levels of government and conservation organisations.

Changes to TSR management

The commencement of the Rural Lands Protection Amendment Act 2008 on 1 January 2009 provided for a number of changes resulting from the adoption by the NSW Government of the recommendations of the IMC External Review into the former Rural Lands Protection Boards system. One of the changes to be addressed is that TSRs are to be ceded back to the Department of Lands where they place an unreasonable financial burden on local local Livestock Health and Pest Authorities.

Changes are more likely to affect isolated pockets of reserves rather than TSRs that form part of a major network for travelling stock. For those TSRs that are ceded back, it is expected that access in times of flood and drought will remain. Until these changes are considered, it is business as usual when using TSRs.

Information from the Livestock Health and Pest Authorities website