Land Use Information
Land use mapping shows how and where our land resources are used. This includes the production of goods (such as crops, timber and manufactures) and services (such as defence, recreation, biodiversity and natural resource protection). Land use mapping in Australia is coordinated by the Australian Collaborative Land Use Mapping Programme (ACLUMP).
This page provides information on how land use is mapped in Australia, a link to a land use mapping tool and access to technical information on standards and procedures supporting mapping work. A summary of Australia's land use is also provided in Land Use in Australia at a Glance.
Types of Mapping
Land use mapping in Australia is conducted at broadly two scales: national scale and catchment scale. National scale (1:2,500,000) land use mapping gives an overview of land use mapping across the continent. It is particularly useful for strategic applications, for example setting regional priorities and developing programmes to address natural resource management problems such as dryland salinity risk.
Catchment scale land use mapping is more detailed than national scale mapping and has a critical role to play in developing effective on-ground solutions to Australia's natural resource management issues. Catchment scale mapping can vary from 1:25,000 (where 1cm on the map = 250m on the ground) for irrigated and peri-urban areas, to 1:100,000 scale (1cm = 1km) for broadacre cropping regions, and 1:250,000 (1cm = 2.5km) for the semi-arid and arid pastoral zone. Figure 1 shows the recommended scales for catchment scale land use mapping across Australia.
An online mapping application can be used to view and compare national scale and catchment scale land use data for Australia.
Figure 1: Recommended scale for catchment scale land use mapping
Methods
National scale land use mapping uses a modelling approach to integrate Australian Bureau of Statistics agricultural commodity data, satellite imagery and other land use information. It is relatively inexpensive, statistically rigorous and allows relatively frequent updates to enable the assessment of trends.
Catchment scale land use data is produced by combining state cadastre, public land databases, fine-scale satellite data, other land cover and use data and information collected in the field. This involves successive stages in data collation, interpretation (including the production of draft land use maps), verification (involving field checking and editing), independent validation, quality assurance and the production of final outputs (including land use data, metadata and validation results). The procedure balances the need for reliable data, practicality and cost-effectiveness.
Both land use mapping methods use the Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) classification system, which provides a nationally consistent method to collect and present land use information for a wide range of users across Australia. The classification is maintained by ACLUMP, which also set technical standards for land use mapping in Australia.
Information on the Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) classification
View national scale technical specifications
View catchment scale technical specifications
Information Applications
Understanding the impact of human settlement and resource development across Australia is fundamental to assessing the condition and trend of Australia's land and water resources. Mapping land use patterns provides a basis for characterising Australia's landscape and understanding agricultural production and land management practices.
Land use mapping helps:
- assess the suitability of land use in relation to land capability (climate, soil, slope and water constraints)
- assess environmental impacts and land at risk from land degradation such as salinity, flood, drought, and soil loss
- assess agricultural productivity and opportunities for diversification
- facilitate national, state and regional reporting on natural resource condition and trend
Catchment scale land use information has been used to:
- plan flight lines for a locust control programme and implement Foot and Mouth and Newcastle disease preparedness exercises in Western Australia (Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food)
- manage sediment and nutrient loads in the Gippsland Lakes and undertake surface water resources modelling in the Macalister Irrigation District in Victoria (Victorian Department of Primary Industries)
- support regional integrated natural resource planning and investment and develop regional strategies for industry development in South Australia (South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation)
- model sediment and nutrient transport across catchments associated with the Great Barrier Reef and define the extent and sizes of sub-divisions for residential expansion in South-east Queensland (Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water)
- develop a horticulture database and plan pest and disease response planning in the Northern Territory (Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts)