Prior Soil Studies

The earliest report on soils within this area was prepared by Holmes et al. (1940). They defined the following soil types: Cranbourne sand, Hallam loam, Narre clay loam, Toomuc sand and Toomuc sandy loam as well as other soil types not relevant here. Their report covered the area around Berwick and included only a small area in the north-west of the area covered by this report.

Goudie carried out "A Survey of Soils and Land Utilization in the Parishes of Koo-Wee-Rup and Koo-Wee-Rup East" in 1942. His survey covered 81 square miles (about 20 740 ha) and covers much of this area. The soils were surveyed thoroughly over 61 selected farms and the map completed with the aid of numerous observations of profiles at roadsides and drains. The published soil map was at a scale of about 1:173 000.

Goudie (1942) states that "the soil map is essentially a sketch map - the product of a reconnaissance survey - and is deliberately produced at a small scale. In general the uncertainty of any boundary does not exceed 400 yards (366 metres). In the north-west of the district the various transition phases between Dalmore clay, Koo-Wee-Rup peaty clay and Swamp Fringe are in places three-quarters of a mile (1.2 kms) wide….....there was some difficulty in deciding the boundary between the Koo-Wee-Rup peaty clay and the sandy complex because the sandy types are scattered and poorly defined." (p 101).

In 1975 the Department of Agriculture published "A Soil Survey of the Westernport Bay Catchment" by Ian J Sargeant. This survey was carried for the Westernport Bay Environmental Study as part of the program on the physical characteristics of the catchment and covered 327 640 ha. Although not stated in the report, the fieldwork was carried out over a period of six months during 1973 and was based on about 1200 recorded field observations. Soil boundaries were drawn onto aerial photographs at a scale of about 1:53 000 and the map was published at a scale of 1:200 000.

The report titled "Assessment of Agricultural Quality of Land in Gippsland" by Swan and Volum (1984) covers all of the agricultural land of Gippsland. In compiling that part of the map which covers the Westernport Bay Catchment they used Sargeant's soil map. Swan and Volum used a five class rating system to categorise rural land. In a planning context, these rankings have limited use. They are effective in differentiating between the best and worst agricultural land, and as a result can lend strong support to the appropriate policies (Phillips Agribusiness, 1993). The maps accompanying the report are at a scale of 1:250 000. Thus the map boundaries between agricultural quality classes are generalised and are not suitable for detailed planning purposes.

Other reports that cover various aspects of land and soil in the area include the report on "Land Systems of Victoria" by Rowan (1990) and the "Terrain Classification for Engineering Purposes" Series by the CSIRO on the Queenscliff Area (Grant, 1973) and the Warragul Area (Grant and Ferguson, 1978). For all of these reports only limited field work was carried out and the map scale is 1:250 000.

References

Goudie, A.G. (1942). A Survey of Soils and Land Utilisation in the Parishes of Koo-Wee-Rup and Koo-Wee-Rup East. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 54 (NS) Pt 1: 93-130.

Grant, K. (1973). Terrain Classification for Engineering Purposes of the Queenscliff Area. Division of Geomechanics Technical Paper No 12. CSIRO.

Grant, K and Ferguson, T. (1978). Terrain Classification for Engineering Purposes of the Warragul Area. Division of Geomechanics Technical Paper No 21. CSIRO.

Holmes, L .C; Leeper, G.W. and Nicolls, K.D. (1940). Soil and Land Utilisation Survey of the Country around Berwick. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 52 (NS) Pt 1:177-237.

Phillips Agribusiness. (1993). Impacts of Urban Growth and Related Development on Agriculture in the Westernport Region. Report to the Westernport Regional and Co-ordination Committee.

Rowan, J. (1990). Land Systems of Victoria. Prepared for the Department of Conservation and Environment and Land Conservation Council.

Sargeant, I.J. (1995). Soil Quality Study, Cranbourne South. Clients: Ministry for Planning and City of Casey

Sargeant, I. J. (1994). Soil Quality Report: City of Cranbourne. Client: City of Cranbourne.

Sargeant, I. J. (1993). Shire of Pakenham, Horticultural Preservation Zone, Amendment L71, Soil Quality Assessment.

Sargeant, I. J. (1975). A Soil Survey of the Westernport Bay Catchment. Prepared for the Westernport Bay Environmental Study, Project Report No. 22.

Swan, I and Volum, A. (1984). Assessment of Agricultural Quality of Land in Gippsland. Research Project Series No 134. Department of Agriculture, Victoria.

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