The recent drought has affected many local farmers and more than  1300 head of cattle will be moved along grassy roadsides until April to maintain their weight.

South East Local Land Services ranger Rodney Rankin said it hasn’t been unusual for farmers to resort to applying for permits for droving in the past.

“We just want the local community to be aware there will be live stock around so they take care on the roads,” he said.

“Sure, we’ll most likely get a few complaints about the cattle and the trucks but there will be warning signs up to let the locals know.

“You get people who don’t like the inconvenience but most people are well aware of the effects of the drought and that this is a method, or tool, used in times of need.

“It’s not uncommon and we have been lucky that we have had some rain so there is good grass on the sides of roads, grazing the cattle there will reduce the length of grass, which reduces fire risk too.”

Mr Rankin said there are 500 head of cows and 500 calves on their way from Braidwood that  should arrive by Wednesday.

“There are another 300 head of local cattle who will be a part of the drove too,” he said.

“This is all we are expecting at the moment because it’s about the capacity the roads can handle as it’s not terribly wide and too many cows will eat it out in few weeks.

“We will manage the grass just like any farmer would normally do at home to get the best results all around.”