Two young biosecurity support officers have joined the ranks of Northern Tablelands Local Land Service (LLS).

Amy Sheridan and Gareth McLennan, recently came aboard with an aim to help farmers in stock disease management, health and feral pest control. 

They will work monitor flocks and herds, feral animal numbers and sightings, share current information and advice with farmers. Both will work with district vets and LLS biosecurity and emergency services unit officers.

Amy will be stationed at Inverell and Gareth will take up his post at Armidale.

Both members are UNE graduates in agricultural science spent time working in the animal health and nutrition in feedlots.

“At the end of August, start of September, we go down to Tocal and do a week’s course down there, and we complete our Cert III and IV, which will allow us to do the 1080 by ourselves,” Amy said. “So after that, we’ll be off and running.”

Amy was born and bred in Moonbi, studied rural science. 

“I always wanted to come over to this side, working hand in hand with farmers, as an advisor, controlling feral animals, disease, pests,” she said.

“Just working hand in hand with the famers to try and get some sort of control over it.”

In the last 12 months Amy was a nutritional and animal supervisor in feedlots.

“Then I was based in Victoria, and I wanted to come a bit closer to home, and this opportunity came up, so I jumped on it,” she said.

Amy said she has been welcomed by both the farmers and LLS staff.