AGY-1155 | Soil Conservation Service

Full description

In 1935-36 the State Government appointed an Erosion Committee to investigate the problem of soil erosion in NSW. The Committee found that erosion was widespread on farming and grazing lands throughout the State and said that this State was liable to very serious losses on account of erosive damage (1)

The Soil Conservation Act (No.10 1938) came into force on 28 October 1938, however, the development of the organisation was severely curtailed by the onset of war. "Suitably qualified manpower, major plant and materials generally have been in extremely short supply during the war years and in the immediate post-war period". (2) Initially the Soil Conservation Service was a branch of the Department of Mines before being incorporated into the Department of Conservation in 1944. On 1 June 1949 the Soil Conservation Act was amended by the Conservation Authority of New South Wales Act (No.8, 1949) and the Director of Soil Conservation was replaced by a Commissioner for Soil Conservation.

A series of research stations were established throughout the State as centres of soil conservation and erosion control. These stations were at Cowra (the Service's first installation), Wellington (completed 1945), Wagga (completed February 1946), Inverell (completed March 1946) and Gunnedah (completed April 1946). An Officer-in-Charge, one assistant technical officer, a foreman, and four farm hands staffed each Research Station with additional labour hired when required. Plant nursery sites were also selected at Wellington, Wagga Wagga, Inverell, Gunnedah, and the Keepit Dam. Soil conservation demonstrations were conducted throughout the State on private properties in both grazing and arable land areas. Coastal sand dune stabilisation, protection of catchment areas, and road erosion control programs were also undertaken. Trial sowing of specific plants included -

* Giant Panic Grass and Ryecorn in the Goolgowi district as part of erosion control in the South-west wheat area
* Murray Red Gum (Eu.camaldulensis) in the Western Division of the State
* Old Man Saltbush (Atripex nummularium) in the Western Division of the State

In 1947 the Soil Conservation Service began to pursue a policy of decentralisation of services with District Offices established at Tamworth, Orange, Scone, Goulburn, Wagga Wagga, and Inverell. Officers were also located at Broken Hill, Camden, Condobolin, Griffith, Manila, Tumut, and Young. (3)

The Soil Conservation (Amendment) Act (No. 11 1947) enabled the Minister for Conservation to arrange for the provision of financial and technical assistance to landholders for soil conservation works. The Act allowed for joint works to be undertaken by the owners of two or more parcels of land, financial assistance advanced up to 100% (through the Rural Bank), and the work to de done by either the landholder, private contractor, or the Soil Conservation Service. (4) From 1948 the Soil Conservation Service also offered a Plant Hire Scheme by which earth-moving equipment was made available to landholders for the construction of soil conservation works.

In 1948-49 Soil Conservation Branch offices were opened at Glen Innes, Barraba (within the Keepit Catchment Area), Coonabarabran, Narrabri, Cootamundra, Mudgee, Bathurst, Dubbo, Parkes, and Albury. (5) In the State's Western Division the Nottingleigh Soil Conservation Research Station was set up on parts of the old Tupra and Coolpataroo holdings 80 miles northwest of Hay to study wind erosion. Ravensfield at Booligal was also established, while experiments were conducted on the areas along the Broken Hill Condobolin railway line, and the death of the Mulga in the Western Darling Region was examined. (6)

On 6 November 1950 the Hunter Valley Conservation Trust Act (No.34 1950) received assent. The Trust consisted of 14 members including a representative of the Soil Conservation Service. The Act made provision for the Commissioner of the Soil Conservation Service to advise the Trust on remedial measures or works for any of the eroded lands within the Trust District.

From 1949 to 1951 the Soil Conservation Service's Districts were reorganised from six to nine with the addition of new district headquarters at Cowra, Kempsey, and Yass representing the Districts of Lachlan, North Coast, and Southern. The existing structure included the Districts of -

* Gwydir
* Namoi
* Hunter
* Metropolitan
* Macquarie
* Riverina

New sub-district headquarters were established at Singleton, Denman, Murrurundi, Merriwa and Muswellbrook in the Hunter District and at Gunnedah in the Namoi District. (7)

Under the War Service Land Settlement Scheme the Lands Department acquired 801 estates; 16 were later withdrawn leaving 785 estates sub-divided into 2,609 blocks. By arrangement with the Department of Lands these were referred to Soil Conservation Service for inspection after occupation by the new settlers. Where necessary, detailed reports were made setting out measures required to control erosion or to prevent erosion that may arise from changed land use following closer settlement. (8)

Soil conservation for the State Closer Settlement Scheme was commenced in November 1963, and the procedures of inspections and advice on necessary erosion control works followed the model established by the older War Service Land Settlement Scheme.

Valley-Type Projects under section 10 of the Soil Conservation Act (No.10 1938) were commenced in 1965. With the exception of the first pilot project at Goorianawa their objective was to prevent the silting of a land area. All land within a valley both farm and Crown would be subjected to a program of improved land use (fertilisers, pasture improvement, sub-division fencing) and structural soil conservation works. Individual agreements were made with landholders and finance if needed was provided. (9)

From 1 July 1971 subsidies were paid for the construction of farm water storages and bores, including the water storage component of soil conservation work. Initially this scheme operated under Cabinet authority. On 12 October 1973, assent was given to the Farm Water Storages and Bores Subsidies Act, 1973 (Act No.58 1973). (10)
During 1986-87 a number of significant amendments were made to the Soil Conservation Act, 1938 (Act No.10, 1938) (11) including -

* Redefinition and expansion of the meaning of protected land to include land previously covered by Section 26D of the Water Act 1912 ( land within twenty metres of a prescribed river or lake)
* Inclusion of definitions of "Bed", "Lake", "River" and "Bank" within the Act
* That the salinity of rivers and lakes will no longer excluded them from becoming protected lands
* "Farming Lands" meant lands used for farming, agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, vegetable-growing, market gardening, pastoral, grazing, poultry farming, silvicultural, floricultural, or piscicultural purposes, plus any other lands declared by the regulations
* The Farm Water Supply Branch of the former Water Resources Commission was transferred to the Soil Conservation Service
* The destruction of trees on protected land was prohibited except under authority
* The destruction of timber on protected land was prohibited except under authority
* The concepts of degradation, siltation and obstruction were added to the term erosion

On 1 July 1991 the Department of Lands and the Soil Conservation Service were abolished and their functions were incorporated with the Land Titles Office and the Valuer General's Department under the Department of Conservation and Land Management. (12)

Endnotes
1. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service 1986-87 p.3
2. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1946 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1947-48 Vol. 1, 1947-48 p.69.
3. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1947 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1947-48 Vol. 1, 1947-48 pp. 73-74.
4. Loc cit pp. 73-74.
5. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1949 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1948-49-50 Vol. 1, p. 247.
6. Ibid. pp. 249-250.
7. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the period of two years - from 1 July 1949 to 30 June 1951 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1952-53 Vol. 1, p. 149.
8. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1968 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1968-69 Vol. 1, p. 604.
9. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1971 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1971-72 Vol. 1, p. 734.
10. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1975 in the Joint Volumes of Papers presented to the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly 1975-76 Vol. 2, p. 391.
11. Annual Report of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 1987 p.7. See also the Soil Conservation (Amendment) Act (No.105 1986) and the Soil Conservation (Further Amendment) Act (No.142 1986).
12. Department of Conservation and Land Management annual report for the year ended 1992 pp. 9-11; NSW Government Gazette No.101, 28 June 1991, p.5335.