National Soil Monitoring Program

The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board is taking part in the Australian Government’s National Soil Monitoring Program, a long-term, nationwide initiative designed to improve understanding of soil health across Australia.

Healthy soils are the foundation for productive agriculture and sustainable land management. By contributing local data to a nationally coordinated program, we’re helping to build a clearer picture of how soils are changing over time and what that means for our region.

What is the National Soil Monitoring Program?

The National Soil Monitoring Program is a multi-year project led by CSIRO, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. It aims to establish a nationally consistent, long-term soil monitoring network to track changes in soil condition across different landscapes, land uses and climates.

Across Australia, more than 3,000 sites will be sampled between 2025 and 2028. The data collected will be made publicly available through the Australian National Soil Information System, and will assist land managers to make better decisions at local, regional and national levels.

Our role in the Murraylands and Riverland

Across South Australia, 346 sites are being sampled, including 61 in the Murraylands and Riverland region. These sites have been chosen to represent the diversity of local soil types and land uses, from agricultural areas to more natural landscapes.

The landscape board will work alongside landholders and project partners to collect soil samples using nationally consistent methods. This ensures the data from our region can be reliably compared with soil data collected elsewhere in Australia.

The information gathered will contribute to a long-term baseline of soil condition for the Murraylands and Riverland, tracking changes over time and improving our understanding of how soils respond to land management practices, climate variability and environmental pressures.

This regional work also contributes to a national effort to improve soil health across Australia by supporting the Australian Government’s National Soil Strategy and National Soil Action Plan.

Together, these frameworks aim to improve how Australia’s soils are understood, managed and protected, recognising soil as a vital natural asset that supports food production, biodiversity, water quality and climate resilience.