The Office of Environment and Heritage has suspended operations near Moree following the alleged murder of a compliance officer.
The department's chief executive, Terry Bailey, and NSW Environment Minister Rob Stokes flew to Tamworth on Thursday morning and confirmed activities at Croppa Creek, 55 kilometres north of Moree in north-west NSW, had ceased after the death of Glen Turner.
The Tamworth environmental compliance officer was allegedly shot in the back on Tuesday night as he served a notice on 79-year-old farmer Ian Turnbull for illegally clearing vegetation. A colleague was also present at the incident but was not hurt.
"We are not conducting operational activities at the moment (because) in a situation like this we need time for our staff to understand and digest," Mr Bailey said.
Mr Bailey spoke as he and Mr Stokes walked into a meeting with staff in the department's Tamworth office.
The pair will also visit Mr Turner's grieving family. Mr Turner was a married father of two.
"We are doing everything we can to support Glen's family, we will continue to do that (as well as support) our staff, particularly the staff member there on the day of the incident and our staff more broadly," Mr Bailey said.
The pair would not be drawn on the specific details surrounding the alleged shooting.
When questioned about the tensions in the Croppa Creek area over illegal land clearing, Mr Stokes said he was aware of the history of the issue. "There has been a long history in relation to compliance in the Croppa Creek area," he said.
He would not say if he had read letters from locals warning of growing tensions.
The minister will also meet department staff in Armidale on Thursday.
Investigative work at the department's Tamworth office is continuing but it will be reviewed internally before staff are allowed to carry out work out of the office.
Mr Turnbull recently pleaded guilty in the Land and Environment Court to using a bulldozer to clear 421 hectares on his son Grant's neighbouring property, Colorado, and 73 hectares on grandson Corey's neighbouring property, Strathdoon, in 2012. He also felled 3402 trees to sow commercial crops of wheat and barley.
Two further prosecutions have been commenced against Ian and Corey Turnbull in relation to unauthorised clearing on Strathdoon between January and September 2012.
Mr Turnbull was refused bail in Moree Local Court on Wednesday.
