Soil policy, frameworks and projects

The National Soil Strategy is Australia’s first national policy on soil, released in May 2021. This document is a 20-year overarching framework (2021–2041) designed to ensure that Australia’s soil remains a productive and resilient national asset. It represents a unified vision for soil management at a national scale.

The strategy is built around the following goals:

1. Prioritise soil health.
2. Empower soil innovation and stewards.
3. Strengthen soil knowledge and capability.

The National Soil Action Plan (2023–2028) functions as the initial implementation roadmap for the National Soil Strategy, breaking down the 20-year national policy into discrete, five-year performance targets.

The National Soil Action Plan 2023-28 consists of four priority actions:

1. Develop an agreed national framework to support the measurement, monitoring, mapping, reporting and sharing of soil state and trends information, to inform best management decision making and future investment in soil.
   1. Develop a holistic policy and strategy approach where soil function is recognised, valued and protected for the environment, economy, food, infrastructure, health, biosecurity and communities.
   2. Accelerate the adoption of land use and management practices that protect soil and improve soil state and trends.
   3. Identify and develop the soil workforce and capabilities needed to meet current and future challenges for Australia and our region.

National Soil Monitoring Program (2023-2028)

The National Soil Monitoring Program (NSMP) is a key initiative under the National Soil Action Plan and supports the National Soil Strategy’s goal of strengthening soil knowledge and capability. It aims to establish a coordinated national framework for measuring, monitoring, and reporting on soil condition and trends across Australia.

The NSMP will collect data from ~3,000 samplings sites across Australia to assist with the monitoring of physical, chemical and biological soil properties. It will provide access to high quality soil data and improved data coverage across Australia, complementary to the soil data in the Australian National Soil Information System (ANSIS).

The Landscape South Australia Act 2019is the primary legislation governing soil management in SA. It replaced the Natural Resources Management Act 2004.

The overarching objective is to promote the sustainable and integrated management of the state's landscapes. This includes an integrated management approach for soil health, water security and pest control.

DEW works alongside the Landscape Boards and PIRSA to deliver on-ground soil projects for the sustainable management of land and soil to ensure the resilience of regional communities (e.g. for erosion control and acidity management).

Unlike the Landscape South Australia Act, which focuses on soil health for farming, the Environment Protection Act 1993 is primarily concerned with preventing pollution and managing soil contamination. The Act establishes a regulatory framework to prevent, mitigate, and remediate environmental harm, ensuring land quality is preserved for future use.

DEW contributes to 'State of the Environment' reporting under the Environment Protection Act 1993. DEW soil monitoring projects are designed to obtain the necessary data to feed into 'Trend and Condition Report Cards', which track trends in soil acidity, erosion protection, and soil carbon across the state’s agricultural lands.

DEW aligns soil health projects with the state’s climate goals outlined in the Climate Change Action Plan (2021-2025), specifically focusing on carbon sequestration and building soil resilience to withstand the increasing frequency of droughts in SA.

The primary soil related goals outlined by the action plan are:

• increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) to offset state emissions
• improving water retention and reducing erosion to survive droughts
• growing the Carbon Farming sector to support regional economies
• integrating soil data into the Climate Change Science and Knowledge Plan.

DEW oversees the collection, management and distribution of soil and land use data for South Australia’s agricultural zone. This framework ensures that data is presented in a standardised format that can be easily interpreted and used by scientists and farmers to identify soil constraints and opportunities in the state.

The State Land and Soil Mapping Program (1986–2012) was implemented as part of this framework, which produced a comprehensive set of soil and land mapping information for South Australia using stereoscopic analyses of aerial photographs and extensive field investigations.

Soil data and maps for South Australia are available through:

• NatureMaps
• Enviro Data SA: Data portal | Publications
• Soil Sites SA

The Soil Collaboration Centre is a state-wide initiative designed to strengthen South Australia’s soils community. This is a join initiative by DEW and PIRSA which aims to bring together land managers, industry experts, researchers, policymakers, and students and facilitate opportunities for collaboration and the sharing of expertise, knowledge and information.

This initiative provides:

• access to decision making tools, high-quality soil data and management expertise to support farmers, growers and land managers and inform on-ground action
• education pathways, training, mentoring and internships to help deepen community understanding of soil science and land management
• high-quality soil data to inform on-ground action, policies and management strategies.

The Soils Knowledge Network (SASKN) and the Soils Data and Information Bank (SASDIB) are key projects of the Soil Collaboration Centre.

This project is led by DEW, with the aim to upgrade South Australia’s soils data system into a modern, user-friendly tool that:

• provides easy access to credible and regionally relevant soil data
• contribute to soil condition monitoring and reporting for the state
• supports informed land management, investment, and policy planning.

This network is managed by PIRSA, with the aim to facilitate collaboration, coordination, and communication across the state's soils community. This network:

• fosters knowledge sharing, mentoring, and professional connection
• enables a considered and coordinated approach to soil management
• supports training, capacity-building, and informed decision-making.

DEW supports PIRSA in the delivery of this initiative.