Landscapes and soils

Landscape and soils data online

SPADE provides detailed and accessible information about the condition and capability of the state's landscapes and soils. Web users can use a map-based tool to find soil profiles for particular locations, and retrieve site reports containing detailed landform and soil information.

Stable, healthy and productive landscapes and soils are essential for producing much of our food, and for maintaining water quality, sustaining our primary industries and supporting rural and urban communities.

Our rural landscape is under continuing pressure. Acidification, salinity, erosion, invasive native scrub, and loss of native vegetation are seriously affecting the condition of our soil, and challenging the communities and industries that depend on the land.

DECC is working with local communities and land managers to collect, interpret and distribute comprehensive information about soils and landscapes, and to support efforts to reverse land degradation resulting from past practices and protect our natural landscape for future generations.

Find out more about landscapes, soils and our environment

• get a snapshot of soils and soil condition in your area from SPADE NRAtlas and the NSW Soil and Land Information System (SALIS)
• find out more about maps for land managers - including soil landscapes of NSW, acid sulphate soils and land use maps
• become informed about land degradation issues in NSW, including salinity and acid sulphate soils.

Landscape and soils information in the 2006 State of the Environment report

Up-to-date assessment of land use and land management changes; soil erosion; induced soil salinity and sodicity; induced soil acidity; acid sulphate soils; chemical contamination of land.

Contact us

For inquiries about soil and land in NSW, and the use of soil and land information, email soils@environment.nsw.gov.au.

To view a catalogue and order publications search for 'soils' at the NSW Government Bookshop, online at shop.nsw.gov.au.