24-06-1999

Launch of National Dryland Salinity Program (Phase 2)

Salinity is a disaster that will touch every Australian's hip pocket, according to Chairman of the Board of Australia's National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP), Mr Alex Campbell.

More than 2.5 million hectares of Australia are currently affected by dryland salinity at a cost to all Australians of more than $270 million a year in environmental degradation, degraded water supplies, lost agricultural production and damage to infrastructure like roads, buildings and recreational facilities.

It is potentially the biggest environmental problem facing Australia as it approaches the new millennium. Up to 15 million hectares of land could go saline within 50 years.

In response to the salinity threat, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Hon Mark Vaile, launched the second phase of the NDSP today (24 June) in Canberra. This is the first initiative of a whole-of-government response to salinity.

Dryland salinity occurs when salt stored deep underground is brought to the surface by rising underground water. This is the result of land clearing for agricultural or urban development when too much water enters ground water, causing it and the salts to rise to the surface.

'For too long, urban Australia has seen this as only an agricultural problem,' says Mr Campbell. 'The second phase of the NDSP recognises that this is also becoming a major issue for those living in urban areas, and for the wider environment.'

Conservative estimates indicate there is about $100 million a year worth of damage to urban infrastructure in Australia. For Wagga Wagga City in NSW, urban salinity is costing $3.2 million a year or a potential $95 million over the next 30 years if no new action is taken.

It is estimated that at least 80 other country towns are suffering from damage to the foundations of buildings and infrastructure due to rising saline water tables. Some damage has also been noticed at the edges of larger cities, like Sydney.

With costs of up to $1 million a kilometre to repair highways affected by salinity, damage to roads is the most significant impact to infrastructure. A 1997 investigation of roads in Western Australia found that 230 kms were already affected by salinity and waterlogging in that state alone.

Coordinator of NDSP, Nicholas Newland, says the real concern is the rate of spread of salinity in Australia. 'Research in the first phase of the National Dryland Salinity Program indicates that salinity could spread and affect six times the area of land that is currently affected within the next 20 -50 years,' he says.

'This means a third of our productive landscape would be affected in the lifetimes of our children.

'Given that 25 per cent of Australia's agricultural production comes from the Murray-Darling Basin, stretching from southern Queensland to the mouth of the Murray in South Australia, salinity on this scale would have a devastating effect on both Australia's regional and export economy.'

The NDSP is a national initiative established in 1993 by Land & Water Australia as a means of improving the coordination of Australia's research, development and extension effort towards better management of dryland salinity across Australia.

A $15M program, phase two of NDSP is also supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry - Australia (through the National Landcare Program), Murray-Darling Basin Commission, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and the State Governments of Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, NSW and Queensland.

'The first phase of the NDSP developed partnerships between agencies and rural communities in combating salinity,' Mr Newland says. 'It also greatly increased our understanding of processes and developed far more sophisticated and reliable methods for remotely measuring dryland salinity.'

The second phase of the NDSP will use information on the costs and extent of salinity in Australia to develop policy options for federal, state and local governments to address the most pressing issues. It will also work with scientific and industry sectors to develop strategies for better management responses that can be put into practice by communities and farmers.

Mr Richard Price, the NDSP Program Manager, stressed that it is vitally important that government takes a national approach to addressing salinity. 'The actions of individual farmers and communities will not be enough to effectively tackle the salinity problem,' he said. 'At the end of the day, we are going to have to make decisions about living with salinity in some areas, and concentrate public expenditure on prevention and rehabilitation in areas of highest value to the nation.'

Mr Price added that where we have to learn to live with salinity, options for profitable productive use of saline resources will be essential.

Regional analysis
WA - 1.8 million ha affected; could double within 20 years; half the State's usable water is saline

SA - All agricultural districts show some degree of salinity

Vic - Extensive impacts in western areas

NSW/ACT - 7.5 million ha could be affected by dryland salinity as groundwater rises

QLD - An emerging threat with increased land clearing

Tas - Two percent of cleared agricultural land is affected by salinity

For further information please contact:

Please contact Land & Water Australia
Email: land&wateraustralia@lwa.gov.au
Phone: 02 6263 6000