National Soil Monitoring Program

Effective management of soil is critical to maintaining the productivity and health of landscapes, which deliver economic, environmental and social benefits.

There is currently no nationally consistent, long-term measured soil monitoring data available to guide land management decisions, support policy or guide investment relevant for climate-smart, sustainable agriculture. This also impacts the ability to address risks to soil such as erosion, acidification, and salinity.

Designed by the CSIRO, the National Soil Monitoring Program will sample and monitor approximately 3,000 sites across Australia, with a strong focus on major agricultural zones. These activities will include sampling, analysis and archiving of collected soil specimens.

Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) along with the other nine CMAs, Agriculture Victoria and CSIRO are supporting the National Soils Monitoring Program in Victoria.

The National Soil Monitoring Program will provide nationally consistent soil data that could be used to indicate trends in soil health and condition across different ecosystems. The data will be publicly accessible through the Australian National Soil Information System.