National Soil Strategy

Why soil is important

Soil is vital to life on earth. Soils are home to more than 25 per cent of our planet’s biodiversity and 95 per cent of the world’s food comes from soil and soil organisms.

Soil provides essential ecosystem services that support and contribute to Australia’s economic, environmental, and social wellbeing, including food and fibre production; water storage, filtration and nutrient cycling; and carbon storage.

Australia has ancient soils that are typically low in organic matter and nutrients and are susceptible to erosion. A changing climate, increasing pressure to produce more food and fibre, and increasing population pressures pose major challenges for the successful management of our fragile soil.

National Soil Strategy

The National Soil Strategy is Australia’s first national policy on soil. It sets out how Australia will value, manage and improve its soil for the next 20 years. It was released in May 2021.

The Strategy prioritises soil health, empowers soil innovation and stewards, and strengthens soil knowledge and capability.

These priorities have been identified through research and practical examples, government policies and programs, and by consulting with governments, industry, researchers, farmers and other land managers across Australia.

Collaboration is a key feature in the development of the National Soil Strategy, It has been developed by the Australian Government, state and territory governments, the National Soils Advocate and the soil community to secure and protect Australia’s soil for the future.

The National Soil Strategy will also support Australia’s domestic and international commitments towards a more sustainable future, such as the Australian agriculture sector’s goal of being a $100 billion industry by 2030, and the Australian Government’s priority of building resilience in our communities and adapting to a changing climate.

It is part of a broader National Soil Package and supports other programs including:

• Agriculture Stewardship Program
• Bushfire Recovery Program
• Future Drought Fund
• Australian Collaborative Land Use Mapping Program
• Threatened Species Strategy.

While it is hard to accurately quantify the cost of soil erosion in Australia, the cost of dust storms alone in New South Wales is estimated at $9 million per year. More recently it has been estimated that about 33 per cent of global soil is degraded.

Historical Soil Data Capture Payments Program

The Historical Soil Data Capture Payments Program will conclude on 31 December 2022. The department is currently reviewing and collating the data submitted through the program.

Pilot Soil Monitoring Incentives Program

The pilot Soil Monitoring Incentives Program will conclude at the end of 2022. Land managers wishing to participate in the program must submit applications by close of business 23 December 2022, with sampling to be completed by 28 February 2023. If you are sampling for Emissions Reduction Fund carbon projects, please discuss your sampling completion date with SCU as an earlier deadline may apply.

Soil Science Challenge

The Soil Science Challenge grant funding round closed on 14 February 2022. The successful funding recipients are:

• $3.94 million to the University of Western Australia (in collaboration with the University of Adelaide and University of Western Sydney) to provide an in-depth understanding of soil physical and chemical processes in response to biological inputs that complement chemical fertilisers to maximise productivity.
• $2.84 million to the University of Adelaide (in collaboration with the South Australian Research and Development Institute) to research the diversity of Australian soils using DNA technology to measure, understand and reverse soil decline, providing a basis to improve soil biology in farming systems.
• $2.69 million to the University of Sydney to better understand the diversity, function, and impact of Australian soils viruses and their links to soil health and productivity.
• $1.10 million to the University of New South Wales (in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and New South Wales Department of Primary Industries) to provide insight into the use of nano materials (including waste materials) in soils, as an innovative approach to assist in improving soil carbon sequestration.
• $1.97 million to the University of Melbourne (in collaboration with the University of Western Sydney and Murdoch University) to develop new standardised approaches and tools for farmers to manage soil fauna across different agricultural industries.
• $1.78 million to the University of Melbourne (in collaboration with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and Queensland Department of Environment and Science) to quantify and understand the causes and consequences of soil organic carbon decline in Australian cropping systems, to improve productivity and improve understanding of carbon sequestration.
• $1.67 million to the University of Sydney (in collaboration with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) to develop an improved spatial understanding of how soils behave in the Australian landscape to enable better advice for farmers and primary producers on land management strategies.
• $1.59 million to the University of Queensland (in collaboration with Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) to develop new nitrogen fertiliser strategies for the more effective and efficient use of nitrogen to benefit Australia’s cropping producers.
• $0.80 million to the Queensland University of Technology to improve rangeland management in the Northern Australian pastoral zone, including developing strategies for improving carbon storage and productivity on those pastoral lands.
• $0.77 million to the University of Sydney to explore the interaction of various components in soils to better understand linkages and benefit to soil carbon sequestration
• $0.52 million to the University of Queensland to better understand the application of phosphorous in soils to increase agricultural productivity.

This new research will add to Australia’s soil health knowledge and address soil-related research priorities including soil carbon dynamics; soil hydrology; soil biology and nutrients; or soil/root interface.

The National Soils Advocate

A National Soils Advocate is the first role of its kind internationally. The position of Advocate was established in 2012 to raise awareness of the vital role soils play and to provide leadership and advocacy on the importance of conserving and improving the health of Australia's soils.

Who oversees implementation of the National Soil Strategy

The National Soil Strategy Implementation Steering Committee (NSSISC), including the National Soils Advocate, oversees implementation of the National Soil Strategy by providing technical advice and recommendations to the department. The NSSISC also champions, supports and drives implementation of the Strategy’s three main objectives including: to prioritise soil health, empower soil innovation and stewards, and strengthen soil knowledge and capability.

NSSISC is overseeing the development of the National Action Plan.

National Soil Strategy Implementation Steering Committee (NSSISC)

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