Ms Hodgkinson said the Rural Living Handbook, published by Central Tablelands Local Land Services, aims to assist landholders with finding the information and resources available to help manage their land.

“Living in a rural setting and managing your own land can be an enjoyable lifestyle and brings a lot of pleasure, it also creates many responsibilities that can be daunting,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

“The Rural Living Handbook contains up to date information prepared in consultation with local councils, government agencies and rural services.

“The Rural Living Handbook is an ‘all in one’ resource of information including contact details, web resources and organisations that provide support to rural landholders across the Central Tablelands.

“Across the Central Tablelands there is a large number of rural and rural residential landholders, this Handbook has useful information and resources for both.”

Ms Hodgkinson said information on buying a property, managing soil, water and vegetation, native plants and animals, weed management and pest animals are presented.

“Property management information included in the Handbook includes agricultural advisory services, livestock management, fencing, rates, absentee land management, working with chemicals and health and safety,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

Member for Orange, Andrew Gee, said the Rural Living Handbook will be extremely handy for those living on the land.

“People on the land lead extremely busy lives and this book brings all of this information they need together in one handy reference manual that they can use on the go.”

The Rural Living Handbook is available at all Central Tablelands Local Land Services offices or can be downloaded at www.centraltablelands.lls.nsw.gov.au.