Salinity Management

Since European settlement, the replacement of native vegetation with crops and pastures, and the rise of irrigation developments have resulted in changes to the water balance.

Throughout many areas of Victoria, this changed water balance has seen an increase in the height of saline groundwater, resulting in groundwater discharging to the surface in some areas.

Discharge areas become saline, often waterlogged, support only salt tolerant vegetation, and suffer from soil erosion. Rising groundwater is as much an environmental problem as an issue to agriculture and urban areas.

Salt Action-Joint Action - the Victorian Salinity Strategy

In May 1988, the government released the Victorian Salinity Strategy, Salt Action-Joint Action, for tackling the growing salinity problems in the state. This strategy set out a systematic program for developing community-led Salinity Management Plans (SMPs) for salt affected regions.

Map of extent of dryland salinity in Victoria on the DSE website (external link)

Since the establishment of Victoria's salinity management program in 1998, the State Government, supported by the Commonwealth, has worked in partnership with communities to develop and implement Salinity Management Plans. 22 Salinity Management Plans (SMPs) have been developed by Community Groups for much of Victoria.

Over the past 10 years, 22 Salinity Management Plans (SMPs) have been developed by Community Groups for much of Victoria.

Victoria's Salinity Management Framework
The overall goal of the State Salinity Strategy, is to manage the salinity of land and water resources throughout Victoria in order to maintain, and where feasible, to improve the social well-being of communities and the environmental quality and productive capacity of the regions.