DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Victorian Resources Online - North Central

Salinity Management

Salinity Groundwater Monitoring Reports | Planting Trees for Salinity Outcomes | Salinity Groundwater Monitoring Update for the Campaspe Catchment

Groundwater and Salinity Processes | Salinity Indicator Plants | North Central Key Bores


Dryland salinity (external link) in the North Central region is a serious threat to agricultural productivity and biodiversity. Therefore, a multitude of planning and management activities are centred around this problem in the region, including groundwater monitoring for the Loddon Uplands, Loddon Dryland Plains, Campaspe Dryland Region and Avoca Dryland Region, and various community action plans. These include: Salinity Management Plans and associated activities (available in the ‘Water and Environmental Management’ section of the Goulburn-Murray Water website) (external link); community education for integrated management; implementation activities; integrated management plans; native vegetation conservation strategies for dryland catchments; Operation Undersow; land and water management control; surface water drainage investigations, and soil rehabilitation.

There are ten Salinity Management Regions overlapping the North Central region, for which Salinity Management Plans have been written. These include:
    • Avoca Dryland
    • Avon-Richardson
    • Boort
    • Campaspe Dryland
    • Campaspe West
    • Goulburn Dryland
    • Loddon Dryland
    • Kerang-Swan Hill
    • Torumbarry
    • Tragowel Plains
Salinity Affected area near Kerang
Salinity affected area near Kerang.
The Lower Avon-Richardson Salinity Scoping Study is available for download from the General Publications section of the North Central CMA website (external link). This study was undertaken by the North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) in partnership with a community Steering Committee and the Department of Primary Industries. It outlines future management actions and priorities to address salinity in the Lower Avon Richardson area.

Related Links

  • Murray-Darling Basin Salinity Audit (external link). Provides detailed predictions for all major river valleys in the Murray-Darling Basin for the next 20, 50 and 100 years.

  • Australia's Dryland Salinity Assessment 2000. (external link) Information on extent, impacts, processes, monitoring and management options related to dryland salinity in Australia. Completed as part of the National Land and Water Resources Audit.

  • The CRC for Plant-Based Management of Dryland Salinity (external link) is a national research organisation that will provide new plant-based land use systems that lessen the economic, environmental and social impacts of dryland salinity and thereby help to sustain rural communities. This will be achieved through an improved understanding of the way natural and agricultural ecosystems work.

  • The Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) established a Task Force to investigate the current state of knowledge and provide a basis for incorporating biodiversity conservation aims into salinity management plans. A report entitled Implications of Salinity for Biodiversity Conservation and Management was published. This report aims to raise awareness and demonstrate how, if appropriately designed, actions to mitigate salinity can at the same time contribute to biodiversity conservation outcomes.

  • The National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) (external link) is a major commitment for applying regional solutions to salinity and water quality problems. The aim is for all levels of government, community groups, individual land manager and local businesses to work together in tackling salinity and improving water quality. Around Australia, 21 priority regions affected by salinity and water quality problems are being targeted. Part of the emphasis of the National Action Plan is on mapping salinity in the landscape. The resulting maps will help land managers develop more effective strategies for dealing with salinity based on better knowledge of how salt spreads through the landscape.

  • The National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP) (external link) is a lead knowledge broker of research, development and extension efforts to combat the risk of dryland salinity in Australia. The NDSP website provides information on: airborne geophysics, salinity tools, engineering options, cost of salinity and catchment classification. The website also includes a Salinity Information Package (external link) which contains over 40 information sheets which provide a step-by-step framework to understand the complex relationships between salinity, socio-economics, land systems and management options.

  • The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia website provides a range of documents related to Salinity Risk Management in Australia (including: the salinity problem; integrated salt risk characterisation and salinity risk management).



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