Queanbeyan
Indicator: Land Degradation
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Queanbeyan
For the 2004-2008 reporting period, drought was experienced throughout the Council area. Landuse in the Council area remained largely compatible with its capability class. Since the last reporting period there has been no noteworthy data released on erosion, acidic or sulphate soils.
Sustainability of landuse
See also: Landuse
Land capability in the Queanbeyan is agricultural areas suitable for both grazing and cultivation. A significant area suitable for urban communities is also present (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Land capability within Queanbeyan City Council area
Source: NSW Department of Lands 2008
The majority of land in Queanbeyan City Council area is under landuse types compatible with the land capability class (Table 1). The Council has approximately 3% of the Council area that has landuses not suited to land capabilities, therefore having the potential to cause erosion.
The City Council area has 34% of land under grazing, which is the dominant land use, with 94% of this land is within its capability. The remainder of the grazing lands is in areas of high erosion risk if cleared; the Department of Lands recommends that these areas remain timbered.
Queanbeyan City Council area has 0.4% of land classified under cropping, 50% of this land is not suitable for regular cultivation. In addition 2% of the land in Queanbeyan is classified as mixed farming, however 21% of this area is not suitable for regular cultivation. Poor suitability for regular cultivation may be partially due to climatic variables as well as potential erosion. Another impact of this may include low crop yields.
Approximately 18% of the Council area has a land use classified as rural residential, only 4% of this land is not for this purpose.
| Landuse | Land Capability Class | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lands suitable for regular cultivation | Lands suitable for grazing—occasional cultivation | Lands suitable for grazing—no cultivation | Other lands | |||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | |
| Cropping | 36 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 2 | |||
| Estimated grazing | 81 | 864 | 908 | 1,915 | 1,681 | 362 | ||
| Mixed farming | 106 | 70 | 120 | 68 | 10 | |||
| Other plantations | 70 | 79 | ||||||
| Rural residential | 223 | 778 | 1,070 | 874 | 114 | |||
| Total hectares | 81 | 1,230 | 1,835 | 3,123 | 2,708 | 488 | ||
Types of land degradation
Erosion
The data available on erosion extent in Queanbeyan City Council area is derived from surveys carried out between 1985 and 1992. These surveys indicated about 43 kilometres of gully erosion and about 15 kilometres of streambank erosion were present in the Council area at that time, as well as extensive areas of moderate to minor sheet erosion.
Approximately 53% of the gully erosion measured in Queanbeyan City Council area are classed as severe to extreme, and most gullies were less than 1.5 metres deep (Table 2). Most erosion gullies in Australia would have formed soon after the native vegetation was removed, and although these gullies have since stabilised, they are continuing to contribute sediment loads to streams (Hughes and Prosser 2003). In New South Wales overall, Edwards and Zierholz (2001) estimated that accelerated erosion rates were 10–50 times the natural rates.
Figure 2. Degree of erosion
Source: NSW Department of Lands 2008
It is expected that some of the erosion may have occurred within the Queanbeyan City Council area during the current reporting period due to the ongoing drought.
| Erosion type | Depth | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 6 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 4 | |
| Extreme gully erosion total | 10 | |
| Severe gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 1 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 12 | |
| Severe gully erosion total | 13 | |
| Moderate gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 1 |
| less than 1.5m deep | 13 | |
| Moderate gully erosion total | 14 | |
| Minor gully erosion | 1.5 to 3m deep | 1, |
| less than 1.5m deep | 5 | |
| Minor gully erosion total | 6 | |
| Streambank erosion | 3 to 6m deep | 0.6 |
| 1.5 to 3m deep | 7 | |
| less than 1.5m deep | 7 | |
| Streambank erosion total | 15 |
Source: Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources data from 1985 to 1992
| Major erosion type | Degree and type | Hectares |
|---|---|---|
| Rill erosion | extreme rill erosion | 8 |
| moderate rill erosion | 9 | |
| Sheet erosion | extreme sheet erosion | 63 |
| moderate sheet erosion | 1,389 | |
| minor sheet erosion | 8,570 |
Source: Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources data from 1985 to 1992
Salinity
Salinity is not currently an issue in Queanbeyan City Council area, and is not expected to be an issue in the future (Figures 3 and 4) (AWR 2005).
Figure 3. Extent of salinity (2000)
Source: Australian National Resource Atlas 2001
Figure 4. Estimated Extent of salinity (2050)
Source: Australian National Resource Atlas 2001
Acid soils
Approximately 83% of surface soils within Queanbeyan City Council area are classed as strongly acid (pH 3.5–5.5) in 2002 (DLWC, 2002b). Although many soils in high rainfall areas are naturally acid, the level of acidity in agricultural areas may be partially due to application of nitrogenous fertilizers, removal of produce, and build up of soil organic matter (Upjohn et al. 2005). Also approximately 52% of the Queanbeyan’s soils are classed as high to critical risk of soil acidification (DLWC, 2002a). This includes the soils in agricultural areas along the Jerrabomberra Creek that are classed as slightly acid but had a high to critical risk of soil acidification.
Figure 5. Acidity of Soils in Queanbeyan
Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries 2008
Impacts of soil acidity can include reduced crop yields, poor establishment of or failure of perennial pastures, permanent degradation of soil if acidity leaches to deeper soils, increase in soil erosion and siltation and recharge of aquifers leading to dryland salinity (Upjohn et al., 2005).
Causes of land degradation
Land degradation can be caused directly by human activities, such as land clearing, over use of fertiliser and changing water tables. Indirect influences, can include flooding of overgrazed or over cultivated land with little ground cover and erosion by wind and water. Drought breaking rain may also cause erosion and can make up about 90% of the total soil loss in an area in a 20–30 year cycle (DPI 2005).
Drought and vegetation condition
According to a recent study by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) (BoM, CSIRO 2008) the frequency and extent of exceptionally hot years and exceptionally dry years in NSW are likely to increase in the future. The mean projections indicate that:
- by 2010-2040, exceptionally hot years are likely to affect about 60% of the region, and occur every 1.6 years on average;
- by 2010-2040, no change is likely in the frequency or areal extent of exceptionally low rainfall years; and
- by 2030, exceptionally low soil moisture years are likely to affect about 7% of the region and occur about once every 14 years on average.
As of September 2008 the Department of Primary Industry has classed 71.6% of NSW as ‘In drought’ including Queanbeyan City Council area.
Figure 6. Drought declared areas
Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries 2008
Over the reporting period the Braidwood Rural Land Protection Board, the authority covering the Queanbeyan City Council area, suffered extended periods of drought (Table 4) (DPI 2008). This is further illustrated in Figure 7 where the continuing drought period resulted in a near 0% pasture growth for a 4 month period between December 2006 to March 2007 (NAMS 2008).
| Months | Seasonal Conditions |
|---|---|
| September 2004 | Drought |
| December 2004 | Drought |
| March 2005 | Drought |
| June 2005 | Drought |
| September 2005 | Drought |
| December 2005 | Marginal |
| March 2006 | Satisfactory |
| June 2006 | Drought |
| September 2006 | Drought |
| December 2006 | Drought |
| March 2007 | Drought |
| June 2007 | Drought |
| September 2007 | Drought |
| December 2007 | Drought |
| March 2008 | Marginal |
| June 2008 | Drought |
Figure 7. Pasture growth in Queanbeyan City Council area for the period 2004 to 2008
What is being done to improve land condition?
Queanbeyan City Council area is located within the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA). The Murrumbidgee CMA is responsible for planning natural resource and catchment management actions and projects in the Murrumbidgee Catchment. However, as Queanbeyan City Council is a key stakeholder in the majority of the management actions identified by the CMA, it also has a key role in natural resource and catchment management in the local community.
Queanbeyan City Council also supports a number of landcare groups to undertake on-ground works to help reduce many land issues such as erosion. Support is provided to these groups in conjunction with the Murrumbidgee CMA.
An example of the landcare groups is Queanbeyan Landcare, who as well as on-ground works, participates in regional Landcare networks and contributes to local planning processes, such as the Queanbeyan City Council annual Management Plan.
Queanbeyan Landcare have worked with other community groups, to achieve community facilities such as new bikeways along the Queanbeyan River, the Community Gardens in Henderson Road, and the outdoor classroom in Thorpe Avenue on the Queanbeyan River.
Other recent projects undertaken by Queanbeyan Landcare include:
- producing the Landcare Heritage Walk pamphlet and the production of the bushland information booklet, in conjunction with the Council
- participation in Queanbeyan City Council’s Environmental Committee
- rehabilitation projects, such as Buttles Creek, Barracks Flat Creek and Gale precinct Crown Land woodland, in association with Greencorps and Council
- QBN-FM 96.7 Radio Landcare Show on every Sunday morning, 8-9 am
- olympic Landcare Project below Marco Polo Club, adjacent to bikeway and stormwater system
- promoting re-vegetation of bike tracks and recreation areas in Queanbeyan River Corridor (Queanbeyan Landcare, 2008).
About the data
For the current reporting period there has been a lack of new soil data due to the relatively long intervals between soil studies. Given the relevancy of the information in the supplementary report, some sections have been retained for this report. Where material has been used from the Supplementary Report reference has been given to the report and original source.
References
Australian National Resource Atlas Mapmaker facility http://www.anra.gov.au/mapmaker/mapservlet?app=anra
Australian Water Resources (2000) National Land and Water Audit. www.nlwra.gov.au/
Australian Water Resources (2005) Land Salinity Maps. www.nlwra.gov.au/
AWR – see Australian Water Resources
BoM and CSIRO – see Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (2008) An Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on the Nature and Frequency of Exceptional Climatic Event.
Commonwealth of Australia (2005) National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and Natural Heritage Trust Regional Programs Report 2003–04, Departments of the Environment and Heritage and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, viewed 18 April 2005, http://www.nrm.gov.au/publications/regional-report/03-04/.
CRCCH—see Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW (2004a) 2003/04 Combined NSW Catchment Management Authorities Annual Report, Volume 1: CMA Activities and Achievements, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Sydney.
Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW (2005) Meeting the Challenge: NSW Salinity Strategy Premier's Annual Report 2003–04. NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, viewed 12 May 2006, http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/salinity/pdf/2003_2004_salinity_annual_report.pdf
Department of Land and Water Conservation (NSW) (1999) Groundwater Quality Protection Policy, Department of land and Water Conservation, Sydney, on line at http://www.dnr.nsw.gov.au/water/pdf/nsw_state_groundwater_quality_policy.pdf.
Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW (2000) Taking on the Challenge: The NSW Salinity Strategy, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, viewed 4 May 2006, http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/salinity/government/govt-docs.htm.
Department of Lands NSW (2008) Soil Landscape Mapping Program – Soil and Landscape Qualities and Limitations http://www.naturalresources.nsw.gov.au/care/soil/ssu/quals4.htm
Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW (2002) Soil Acidification Hazard Mapping, produced for the 2003 NSW State of the Environment Report, Department of Land and Water Conservation, Parramatta.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW (2005) Soil Management Following Drought, Agnote DPI 355, Third Edition, Department of Primary Industries, viewed 18 April 2006, http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/pasture-crops-recovery/dpi355.htm.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW (2006) Drought maps—areas of NSW suffering drought conditions, Department of Primary Industries, viewed 8 May 2006, http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/drt-area?picQuant=100.
Department of Primary Industries, NSW (2008) Drought maps and drought assistance eligibility status of RLPBs http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/emergency/drought/situation/drought-maps
DIPNR—see Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, NSW
DLWC—see Department of Land and Water Conservation, NSW
DPI—see Department of Primary Industries, NSW
Edwards, K and Zierholz, C (2001) Soil Formation and Erosion Rates, in PEV Charman and BW Murphy (eds) Soils: Their Properties and Management, 2nd Edition, pp 39–58, Oxford University Press, Oxford, cited in Lu, H, Prosser, IP, Monn, CJ, Gallant, JC, Priestley, G and Stevenson, JG (2003) Predicting sheetwash and rill erosion over the Australian continent, Australian Journal of Soil Research Vol. 41, 1037–1062, viewed 3 May 2006, http://palaeoworks.anu.edu.au/pubs/AustJSS03.pdf.
Hughes, AO and Prosser, IP (2003) Gully and Riverbank Erosion Mapping for the Murray-Darling Basin, Technical Report 3/03, March 2003, CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, viewed 26 April 2006, http://www.clw.csiro.au/publications/technical2003/tr3-03.pdf.
National Agricultural Monitoring System (Namms) (2008), Simulated Pasture Growth for Queanbeyan, http://www.nams.gov.au/
Queanbeyan Landcare, (2008), Molongo Catchment Group, Queanbeyan Landcare viewed at http://www.molonglocatchment.com.au/queanbeyan_lc.htm on 21 October 2008
Upjohn, B., Fenton, G. and Conyers, M. (2005) Soil Acidity and Liming Agfact AC.19 3rd Edition. NSW Department of Primary Industries, viewed 17 July 2006, http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/soil-acid/2991-soil-acidity-and-liming-.pdf
