About SALIS
The NSW Soil and Land Information System (SALIS) provides a substantial database of information collected by earth scientists and other technical experts. SALIS contains descriptions of soils, landscapes and other geographic features, and is used by the NSW Government, other organisations and individual people to improve planning and decision-making for land management.
SALIS is:
- Free - Storage of information is free. Access is also free except for cost of transfer for bulk or commercial uses.
- Accessible - SALIS information is available through the SPADE website.
- Reliable - SALIS information is stored in a modern, centralised database.
- Secure - The SALIS database is protected so that data can only be accessed or changed by authorised personnel.
- Efficient - Duplication of effort within NSW is avoided, because SALIS stores statewide information in a central location, and makes it available to anyone who wants it.
Who uses SALIS?
SALIS is a valuable resource for a wide variety of people and organisations, including:
- Farmers, landholders and other land managers
- Catchment Management Authorities
- Community groups such as Landcare and Salt Action
- State, Federal and Local Government agencies
- Planners and developers
- Agronomists, horticulturists and landscape architects
- Geophysical, environmental, engineering and geological consultants
- Earth scientists, researchers, teachers and students
- Anyone with a general interest in soils or geography.
What information does SALIS contain?
SALIS contains physical and chemical data from more than 50,000 points across NSW. The information is collected by field staff and many other contributors, who add thousands of extra collection points each year.
Other categories, such as soil landscape information, soil maps and photographic images are also being added to the system.
The database is constantly updated as new information on the state's soil resources becomes available.
Where are SALIS public data points?
View a map of NSW showing the locations of soil profiles stored in SALIS. You can retrieve information on any of these public data points using the SPADE spatial viewer.
SALIS documentation
The following SALIS–related publications can be downloaded from here, free of charge.
- SALIS Soil Data Entry Handbook 3rd Edition (2001) - (PDF 649KB)
- SALIS Soil Data Entry Handbook Supplement 1 – the Salinity Soil Data Card (2002) - (PDF 239KB)
- SALIS Soil Data Entry Handbook Supplement 2– the 4–page, V4 Soil Data Card (2005) - (PDF 142KB).
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find more general information on soils?
There are several sources of useful general information about soils:
- Our Soils glossary contains definitions of common soil and land terms.
- The Soil links provide a range of useful links to related sites.
- Soils publications gives access to free, online copies of numerous publications provided by the Department of Natural Resources.
- References and further reading lists a range of other reference works, scientific journal papers and other sources of information about soil.
Who should I contact about soil pollution?
To report an incident of soil pollution, go to the reporting pollution section of this website.
Contact us
If you have any comments or inquiries about any aspect of SALIS, please email us at soils@environment.nsw.gov.au.