A Study of Land Capability in the Shire of Ballan

This report "A Study of Land Capability in the Shire of Ballan" describes a study carried out by P. J. Jeffery and R. T. Costello - Land Capability of the former Soil Conservation Authority covering the environment of the Shire of Ballan and the capability of the different types of land to support various land uses – particularly subdivision.

There are twenty-six map units described in the study. Many of these units are complex land systems containing up to three or four different but related types of land (i.e. land components). In some cases, individual land components have been mapped as units. The mapping is at a fairly broad scale (1:100 000) suitable as input for broad-scale planning but not adequate for individual site decisions.

The capability of the land to support three main activities has been examined.

1. Erosion risk associated with soil disturbance
2. Constraints on construction (small building, secondary road, etc)
3. Effluent disposal by soil absorption – risk of failure and difficulties of installation.

The rating value is interpreted in terms of the level of special management required to overcome the limitations imposed by the land features, e.g. slopes, stoniness, etc. The ratings for specific activities or aspects of land performance are combined to give an overall rating for rural subdivision – farmlets with houses, low-cast access, effluent disposal by soil absorption. The rating again is interpreted as the levels of special management required to minimise hazard to the land, the water supply and the user.

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Alluvium - Variable Soils - Qya (PDF 84KB)	Quaternary Basalt - Scaps of Duplex Soils - Qbb (PDF 58KB)
Alluvial Fans - Fault Outwash - Qaf (PDF 63KB)	Quaternary Basalt - Red Gradational Soils - Qbr (PDF 50KB)
Quaternary Volcanic Cone - Qvc (PDF 52KB)	Depressions - Qde (PDF 48KB)
Quaternary Basalt Mixture - Qbm (PDF 54KB)	Alluvium - Variable Soils (moist) Qym (PDF 47KB)
Quaternary Basalt - Black Cracking Clay Soil - Qbc (PDF 52KB)	Quaternary Basalt - Stony Rises - Qbs (PDF 49KB)
Quaternary Basalt - Scarps of Gradational Soil - Qbt (PDF 46KB)	Upper Tertiary Plains - Tgn (PDF 48KB)
Lower Tertiary Sediments - Steep - Tsp (PDF 57KB)	Upper Tertiary Scarps - Tsc (PDF 55KB)
Tertiary Basalt - Gentle - Tbr (PDF 53KB)	Tertiary Basalt - Steep - Tbs (PDF 57KB)
Lower Tertiary Sediments - Gentle - Tgp (PDF 58KB)	Permian Sediments - Per (PDF 56KB)
Permian Sediments (moist) - Pem (PDF 58KB)	Devonian Granite - Gentle - Dgb (PDF 45KB)
Devonian Granite - Steep - Dgt (PDF 52KB)	Devonian Granite - Dgn (PDF 56KB)
Ordovician Hills (North) - Orr (PDF 59KB)	Ordovician Plain - Org (PDF 52KB)
Ordovician Steep Hill - Ors (PDF 51KB)

		Front page and Table of Contents (PDF 17KB)	Maps
		Foreword (PDF 13KB)	Map 1 - Land Systems & Components (PDF 102KB)
	1	Summary (PDF 150KB)	Map 2 - Erosion Hazard Associated with disturbed Soil (PDF 111KB)
	2	Introduction (PDF 18KB)	Map 3 - General Construction (PDF 107KB)
	3	Land Systems and Components (PDF 55KB)	Map 4 - Effluent Disposal by Soil Absorption (PDF 691KB)
	4	Land Capability Assessment (PDF 20KB	Map 5 - Land Capability Assessment - Rural Subdivision (PDF 98KB)
	5	Land Capability Ratings (PDF 54KB)
		Conclusion - How the ratings can be used (PDF 16KB)
		Appendix 1 - Map Unit Descriptions (PDF 79KB)
		Appendix 2 - Land Features which determing Land Capability (PDF 31KB)
		Appendix 3 - Conservation Management Practices (PDF 22KB)
		Appendix 4 - Glossary (PDF 21KB)
		References (PDF 11KB)
		Map Unit Descriptions (PDF 10KB)

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