“Australia’s soil is recognised and valued as a key national asset by all stakeholders. It is better understood and sustainably managed, to benefit and secure our environment, economy, food, infrastructure, health, biodiversity, and communities – now and in the future.” (Vision from the National Soil Action Plan 2023-2028, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
The four Priority Actions from the National Soil Action Plan are:
- Develop an agreed national framework to support the measurement, monitoring, mapping, reporting and sharing of soil state and trend information, to inform best practice management, decision making and future investment in soil.
- Partners to develop a holistic policy and strategy approach where soil function is recognised, valued, and protected for the environment, economy, food, infrastructure, health, biodiversity, and communities.
- Accelerate the adoption of land use and management practices that protect soil and improve soil state and trend.
- Identify and develop the soil workforce and capabilities needed to meet current and future challenges for Australia and the region.
Read the National Soil Action Plan.
Regional NRM Initiatives
Australia’s regional NRM organisations are playing a pivotal role in supporting both on-ground and overarching strategic initiatives for the National Soil Action Plan (2023-2028). This has been achieved through three key streams of work:
- Support for regional soils coordination and project delivery.
- Hosting education and training events.
- Delivering information to landholders.
Some current examples of our work across the country under the National Soil Action Plan are outlined by location below.
Australian Capital Territory
ACT Better Land Management
ACT NRM and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry are working with the region’s grazing and cropping industries, to build awareness and adoption of land management practices that will improve and protect the condition of soil, biodiversity and vegetation. The increasing soil acidity and declining soil carbon in the ACT grazing and cropping systems are constraining farm productivity. The program is demonstrating the most up-to-date scientific approaches to addressing soil acidity, assisting in reversing the soil acidification trajectory and emphasising regular monitoring and soil testing to inform sound farm decision-making. 
Project Partners:
- ACT NRM
- NLP Agriculture team, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
Funding Source:
- National Landcare Program 2 (NLP2)
- ACT NRM in the ACT Government
Links:
Northern Territory
Supporting farmers and land managers to strengthen soil knowledge and capabilities across the Northern Territory
The Territory NRM Soils Officer builds the capacity and knowledge of farmers, pastoralists, and land managers to conduct and interpret soil tests and offers relevant management methods for enhancing soil health. The Officer promotes the benefits of healthy soils across the NT, facilitates workshops, soil symposiums, and other engagement activities (such as the ‘Soil Your Undies’ campaign) and shares regionally appropriate knowledge and information addressing soil health, best practice methodologies and latest research and trends. 
Project Partners:
- Territory NRM
Links:
Dirty film unearths NT soil health (youtube.com)
MEDIA RELEASE: Soil your undies this Soil Week (territorynrm.org.au)
Sustainable Soil Skillset - Smart Farms Small Grants
Facilitated by the Territory NRM Soils Officer, an accredited Diploma level, soil health course was delivered to farmers, land managers and soil related professionals around the Northern Territory. The Diploma was delivered online and with face-to-face practical demonstrations providing training in soil sampling and interpretation and regionally appropriate management practices to improve and manage soil health and nutrients for sustainability and production benefits, whilst connecting the agricultural community and extension officers in the region. 
Project Partners:
- Territory NRM
- UQ Skills - University of Queensland
Funding Source:
- Smart Farms Small Grants – Soil Extension Activities – under National Landcare Program
Links:
That's a Wrap on the Sustainable Soil Skillsets! (territorynrm.org.au)
Territory NRM - Learning Practical Skills to Improve Soil Health (youtube.com)
Queensland
Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) Program
The Burnett Mary Regional Group, Fitzroy Basin Association, NQ Dry Tropics and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries are assisting graziers in the Reef catchments of the Burdekin, Fitzroy and Burnett Mary regions to receive one-on-one support to manage and improve land conditions and minimise sediment movement from the paddock to the Reef. 
Landholders identify less productive areas of their property (rated C (poor) and D (degraded)) and then develop and implement a tailor-made action plan, in conjunction with their regional NRM organisation, focused on stabilising ground cover and pasture improvement. Under the GRASS program, landholders receive incentives for on-ground practice adoption and one-on-one extension and advice.
Project Partners:
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)
- Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG)
- Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA)
- NQ Dry Tropics
Funding Source:
- Queensland Government, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries - Queensland Reef Water Quality Program
Links:
Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) program | Farming in the Reef (daf.qld.gov.au)
Grazing Resilience and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS) — BMRG
Growing Resilience at Mt Elsa – A GRASS Project - Fitzroy Basin Association (fba.org.au)
Kickstart GRASS | NQ Dry Tropics
Reef Trust Project - Water quality and soil improvements in grazing and cropping enterprises in the Fitzroy
Grain growers and graziers in the sub-catchments of the Fitzroy basin are supported under the Reef Trust project to reduce fine sediment loads from the Fitzroy basin entering the Great Barrier Reef and to improve soil health of agricultural lands through positive landholder practice change and cost-effective on-ground works. 
Landholders increase their knowledge and skills to improve agricultural business and water quality outcomes through training and extension support. Coupled with the use of tools such as forage reports, mapping, land and soil health monitoring, property planning and business management this initiative is leading to improvements in the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
Project Partners:
- Fitzroy Basin Association
Funding Source:
- Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water – Reef Trust Projects
Links:
Natural Resources Recovery Program (NRRP)
Healthy Land & Water, working with its extensive landholder networks, is improving the resilience of South East Queensland’s grazing landscapes to natural disasters and climate change, while tackling key threats to land and vegetation such as declining pasture condition and soil health, hillslope erosion and invasive exotic weeds as well as inappropriate fire regimes and grazing management practices. 
The project is delivered through capacity-building activities and support to landholders with targeted incentives for the implementation of on-ground works that improve the condition of natural assets and build landscape resilience.
Project Partners:
- Healthy Land and Water
- Lockyer Uplands Catchments Inc.
- Little Liverpool Range Initiative
- Lockyer Valley Regional Council
- Noosa & District Landcare Group
- Queensland Government, Department of Agriculture & Fisheries
Funding Source:
- Queensland Government, Department of Resources - Natural Resources Recovery Program
Links:
South Australia
From the Ground Up
SA Arid Lands is engaging with grazing managers to develop knowledge and skills in drought resilient grazing management practices. The project assesses and quantifies the benefits of rest-based grazing to soil and vegetation health and livestock productivity, on working pastoral properties under different management practices. 
Under the initiative, SA Arid Lands have set up demonstration trials and sites; facilitation of field days, including peer-to-peer learning sessions, and on-ground grazing land management training.
Project Partners:
- SA Arid Lands, Landscape SA
Funding Source:
- Future Drought Fund
Links:
Landscape South Australia - SA Arid Lands | From the Ground Up
From Ground Up_Soil-Prospectus_FINAL.pdf (environment.sa.gov.au)
South Australian Soil Extension Project
Funding five (5) fulltime soil extension officers working across seven (7) South Australian Landscape Boards, and covering 93 million hectares, the Soil Officers empower land managers to take responsibility for their soil health, resulting in improved productivity, profitability and environmental outcomes. 
The Soil Extension Officers equip land managers with an understanding of the latest soil science and the skills and knowledge to translate soil test results into on-farm action for improved soil health. Forming the core of a community of practice network, the Soil Officers work collaboratively with industry and agriculture groups, soil specialists and researchers.
Project Partners:
- Landscape Boards of SA;
- Limestone Coast
- Hills and Fleurieu
- Murraylands and Riverland
- Northern and Yorke
- SA Arid Lands
- Alinytjara Wilurara
- Kangaroo Island
Funding Source:
- Smart Farms Small Grants – Soil Extension Activities – under National Landcare Program
Links:
Landscape South Australia - Northern and Yorke | Landscape South…
Tasmania
Regional Soils Coordinator
Co-hosted by the Tasmanian Farm Innovation Hub and NRM South, the Regional Soils Coordinator (RSC) works with Tasmania’s soil community and National Soils Community of Practice under the National Soil Strategy to build skills and capabilities for both productive agriculture and healthy environments.
The RSC works with the Tasmanian network of Soil Extension Officers to facilitate connections between stakeholders, strengthen research efforts and support the management and design of the Tasmanian Soil Extension Program.
Project Partners:
- NRM South
- Tasmanian Farm Innovation Hub
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture
- Soil Science Australia
Funding Source:
- Future Drought Fund
- Tasmanian Farm Innovation Hub
Links:
Regional Soil Coordinator - NRM South
Soil knowledge builds farmer capability - Soil Science Australia
Soils Extension Program
Tasmania’s three NRM regions are working together to deliver soil extension initiatives to landholders across the state to promote best practices that improve the sustainability, productivity, and profitability of Tasmania’s agricultural landscapes. The three NRM Soil Extension Officers engage with the local agricultural sector to build the capacity of land managers to improve soil condition and manage vegetation cover to support natural values and biodiversity, maintain production outcomes and mitigate emerging risks. 
The extension officers assist growers to identify and develop new projects, develop partnerships, and seek new funding opportunities that support practice changes that promote healthy soils.
Project Partners:
- Tasmanian Farm Innovation Hub,
- NRM South
- NRM North
- Cradle Coast NRM
Funding Source:
- Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - National Landcare Program
- Future Drought Fund
- Tasmanian Farm Innovation Hub
Links:
Victoria
Supporting and measuring changes in Agriculture
Wimmera CMA supports farmers through strategic partnerships to improve access to soil science knowledge and education, advanced agricultural tech tools and management techniques that promote soil health and assist adaptation and management to climate variability, soils constraints and drought. 
As part of this work, Wimmera CMA has installed a Wimmera wide network of soil moisture probes and weather stations at 72 sites.
Project Partners:
- Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Vic Catchments
- Agriculture Victoria, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
- VicNoTill
- Birchip Cropping Group
- Charles Sturt University
Funding Source:
- Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Vic Catchments
- Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund
Links:
2022-VCMA-Actions-and-Achievements-report.pdf (viccatchments.com.au)
Western Australia
Landscape Rehydration in the Western Australian Rangelands
Rangelands NRM work with a specialist facilitator to develop Ecologically Sustainable Rangeland Management (ESRM) Plans for rangeland properties to maintain the natural resource base and achieve the business goals of the land manager. 
Historical losses of protective groundcover and soil erosion throughout the WA rangelands have resulted in a fundamental shift in landscape function from water absorbing to water shedding, causing continual soil loss.
The ESRM process assists land managers with training in landscape literacy, mentoring and resources related to their action plan and on-ground works focusing on ground cover management, soil erosion control and rehydration earthworks.
Project Partners:
- Rangelands NRM
- Department of Agriculture and Food
Funding Source:
- Department of Agriculture and Food
Links:
ESRMs and rehydration - Rangelands NRM (rangelandswa.com.au)
The flow on effects of improved soil health
Increased knowledge of no-till and stubble retention practices has reduced soil disturbance and erosion in the Wimmera. The annual Wimmera Cropland Management Transect reflects the large increase in no-till practices, and the Vic No-Till Farmers Association has a strong membership base in the Wimmera region. Intensive consultation with community groups, agencies and partners through the development of the Wimmera Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS) highlighted there is now a common understanding that maintaining ground cover is the single most important thing a landholder can do to protect their soil from erosion.
Charles Sturt University undertook market research in the Wimmera in 2011, providing baseline NRM information on social trends as part of the development process for the RCS. The sample of 496 rural landholders nominated the decline in soil health as the equal most important environmental issues affecting our region.
The ILMP project integrated saltbush landholder incentives, group-driven sustainable farming trials, native pasture trials and perennial pasture trials and awareness-raising activities to improve practices and landholder capacity and intent to reduce the risk of soil erosion on poorly performing paddocks in key local salinity-prone areas.
- 13 landholder stewardship agreements for saltbush planting over 44ha.
- 3 native pasture trial sites over 24ha demonstrating the viability of establishing native pasture to improve fragile, infertile and unproductive soils and incorporating native pasture grazing into land management practices.
- 4 sustainable farming trials hosted by local Landcare groups with 76 farmers supported and demonstrating intent to improve at least 192ha of land. A site tour was conducted and landholders were surveyed about what practices they would modify and about the delivery of the project.
- 3 perennial pastures trials over 42ha.
- 36 participants attended a pasture improvement workshop on improved lucerne pasture management.
- 5 landholders supported to conduct variable lime trials over 150ha in a partnership involving the Wimmera and Glenelg Hopkins NRM regions.
Wimmera CMA engaged CSIRO to evaluate the delivery mechanisms used for this and other projects against best practice information or principles. The evaluation has found the group support which underpinned most components of the ILMP project met an important need within the community in facilitating landscape scale management. The evaluation also identified an opportunity to more effectively apply a prioritisation metric to saltbush land stewardship incentives, and this program improvement will be implemented as a result of the project.
The Perennial Pasture Systems group used support through the project to increase membership to 80 local farm businesses with a total farming area of 75113ha, managing 509,135 DSEs. The PPS group was recognised as the Wimmera Landcare Regional Group award winner and Victorian State Landcare Innovative Community Group Award runner up for 2013.
CMA Board membership has been strengthened by increased representation from the northern Wimmera plains in 2013. This outcome has been helped by the Landcare relationships supported through the ILMP project.
The project was funded by CFoC, Landcare Support and DPI (now DEPI) in-kind and ran from July 2012 to June 2013.