Salinity

About salinity

Salt is a natural part of the Australian landscape but can become a serious problem when carried by water to where it threatens:

• agricultural land
• infrastructure such as roads and buildings
• water resources
• the environmental assets such as wetlands.

This process is called salinisation and careful natural resource management is needed to manage the impact of past salinisation and reduce the potential, where possible, for future problems. 

Investment has included: 

• major programs and initiatives
• research and development
• salinity reviews
• salinity monitoring and assessment.

This investment has supported: 

• training, skills and tools for resource managers
• works to control salinity
• research, extension and adoption of profitable and sustainable production options to cope with, slow and reverse salinity
• expert analysis to guide salinity policy and management action
• better access to salinity data and information at the national and regional level.

Major programs and initiatives

The Australian Government has supported salinity management through programs such as the National Dryland Salinity Program (1993-2004) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (2001-2008). Currently, salinity management is supported in the context of broader  natural resource management issues through the Caring for our Country initiative. Funds have been available through the sustainable Farm Practices national priority area to encourage landholders to maintain cover on salt affected land. Maintaining ground cover will help reduce soil loss resulting from wind and water erosion.

Government investment has helped regions develop programs and the capacity to deal with salinity. The government also funds expert assessments, data monitoring, and the development of tools, frameworks and models.

Research and development

New sustainable production and management options are tools for dealing with salinity. The Australian Government supports research and development of new production systems through the Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (CRC).

The CRC is developing new and adaptable farming systems for Australia by creating new land-use systems which will make agriculture more productive, adaptable to climate variability, sustainable and diverse.

National Dryland Salinity Program (1993-2004)

• Groundwater Flow Systems Framework (GFS)
• Practical Index of Salinity Models (PRISM)
• Airborne geophysics
• Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000
• Desalinisation technologies

The National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP) provided a major communication network for distributing salinity information and management support tools in Australia. Land and Water Australia maintains a list of NDSP’s web-based products. They include:

• Breaking Ground: Key Findings from 10 Years of Australia’s National Dryland Salinity Program
• Dryland Salinity and Catchment Management
• Dryland Salinity: On–Farm Decisions and Catchment Outcomes – A Guide for Leading Producers and Advisers

Groundwater Flow Systems Framework (2003)(GFS)

The GFS  PDF [2mb] maps the geographical extent of salinity and the recommended timeframes for managing changes to groundwater aquifers in Australia. The maps distinguish between areas where short-term to long-term management responses are appropriate. 

Practical Index of Salinity Models (2003) (PRISM)

PRISM is a database of more than 90 tools, models and frameworks to guide natural resource managers in salinity assessments and planning.

Airborne geophysics project (1998)

The National Airborne Geophysics Project summarises the value, strengths and limitations of the technology and provides guidance for further applying the technology to develop management plans to remedy or prevent dryland salinity on properties. 

Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000

The Australian Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000 was the first report of the National Land and Water Resources Audit. It produced maps of the extent and future risks of salinity across Australia.

Desalinisation technologies (2002)

The Introduction to Desalination Technologies in Australia report (2002) describes available desalination technologies and their potential to provide cost-effective salinity and water quality management tools particularly in the National Action Plan regions. The report includes a ‘desalination decision tree’ to help communities determine whether desalination is appropriate and which technologies to use.