Sustainable soil and land management

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.

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 Future Drought Fund (FDF) is managed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). This long-term investment by the Australian Government aims to build drought resilience in Australia:

• Economic resilience – enhancing agricultural productivity and self-reliance.
• Environmental resilience - improving ecosystem health (soil, water and vegetation) for faster recovery post-drought.
• Social resilience – strengthen and supporting rural and regional communities through capacity building.

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).

The State Landscape Strategy is a requirement under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. This document outlines the principles, policies and high-level strategic directions necessary to support the integrated sustainable management of South Australian landscapes.

The Strategy aims to:

1. lead, inspire and coordinate action to improve landscape and community outcomes
2. guide joint efforts by partner organisations on our shared priorities
3. invite current and new partners to join us and invest in South Australia to lead exemplary landscape management.

This is a ten-year strategy (2022-2032) which addresses the following seven priorities across the state:

• sustainable primary production
• soils
• water
• pest plant and animal management
• impact-causing native species
• nature conservation and biodiversity
• fire, flood and drought recovery.

The Landscape boards consist of nine regional, state-appointed bodies in South Australia responsible for managing local land, water, pest plants/animals, and biodiversity. They operate under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 to support community-led environmental projects, offering grants and ensuring sustainable, productive, and resilient landscapes.

They are:

• Alinytjara Wilurara
• Eyre Peninsula
• Green Adelaide
• Hills and Fleurieu
• Kangaroo Island
• Limestone Coast
• Murraylands and Riverland
• Northern and Yorke
• South Australian Arid Lands

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.