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Home > Soils > Soils in NSW

Soils in NSW

It is important that we value and conserve our soils so they will continue to be useful in the future.

Australian soils are amongst the most ancient and fragile in the world, requiring knowledgeable, careful management. They often have naturally low fertility, with most of their nutrients for plant growth and biodiversity being close to the surface.

Our State's rural landscape is under continuing pressure. Acidification, salinity, erosion, invasive native scrub, and loss of native vegetation are together having a serious effect on the condition of our soil, and on the communities and industries that depend on it. Without action, the situation will continue to deteriorate.

The NSW Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a critical role in addressing these challenges. DNR is working to reverse the damages of the past, ensure equity of access to all land users, and protect our natural landscape for future generations.

Many of our soils have physical problems. They can be hardsetting and often have fine-textured, tough subsoils with restricted capacity to hold water. Some subsoils allow very little penetration of water, have poor aeration, and often high salinity restricting root systems. Also, our climate often prevents production and retention of high levels of organic matter. The amount of organic matter held in our soils is generally very low.

Within NSW there is an immense variety of soils. Some are widespread throughout the State, while others are found only in small patches. Some are highly productive and extremely important for agriculture, while others are thin and infertile.

Australian soils form so slowly that the rate is negligible during an average human life–span. They are essentially a finite, non-renewable resource on which we all depend, and must preserve for future generations.

It is essential that soils are managed with careful consideration for their individual characteristics, landscapes and climate.

Soil landscape mapping provides the information about the distribution and characteristics of soils and their landscapes that is crucial for making decisions about land use and management. The level of information about soils in NSW is steadily increasing through the Department's soil landscape mapping program.