main driving force has been ever-increasing demands from the community for
improved environmental management, including more comprehensive and capablebut flexible law-making processes. In this regard, clearer roles and lines of responsibility have developed between the national and state jurisdictions, particularly in
the approach to the development of natural resources law. This has led to a more
innovative and well-defined approach to natural resources law, and the current
approach to manage soil resources is a good example of this.
9
Laws in the three categories are important for achieving the United Nation’s
objective for a land degradation neutral world. In this regard, paragraph 205 of The
Future We Want, contextualises the issues of desertification, degradation and
drought.
10 It recognised ‘the economic and social significance of good land management, including soil, particularly its contribution to economic growth, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and food security, eradicating poverty, women’s
empowerment, addressing climate change and improving water availability’. It
also urged that ‘desertification, land degradation and drought are challenges of a
global dimension and continue to pose serious challenges to the sustainable development of all countries, in particular developing countries. Further, paragraph
206 recognises, ‘the need for urgent action to reverse land degradation. In view of
this, we will strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world in the context of
sustainable development.’ Paragraph 207 sets out a broad framework for national,
regional and international action in order to monitor land degradation and to restore
degraded lands in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas.
2 Development of Soil Conservation in Australia
In the Australian Glossary of Terms Used in Soil Conservation, “soil conservation”
is defined as the “prevention, mitigation or control of soil erosion and degradation
through the application to land of cultural, vegetative, structural and land management measures, either singly or in combination, which enables stability and productivity to be maintained for future generations”.
11 In this definition, the reference to
“structural and land management measures” includes the methods and approaches
used to prevent soil erosion and restore land.
12 These activities are reflected in the
9 Bates (2016).
10 The Future We Want, UN Doc A/66/L 56.
11 Houghton and Charman (1986), p. 116.
12 E.g. see reference in Preamble to the New South Wales Soil Conservation Act 1938 as “an Act to
make provision for the conservation of soil resources and farm water resources and for the
mitigation of erosion”; under Section 4 of the Western Australian Soil and Land Conservation
Act 1945 “soil conservation” means the application to land of cultural, vegetation and land
management measures, either singly or in combination, to attain and maintain an appropriate
level of land use and stability of that land in perpetuity and includes the use of measures to prevent
or mitigate the effects of land degradation; under Section 3 of the Northern Territory Soil
184
I. Hannam
improved environmental management, including more comprehensive and capablebut flexible law-making processes. In this regard, clearer roles and lines of responsibility have developed between the national and state jurisdictions, particularly in
the approach to the development of natural resources law. This has led to a more
innovative and well-defined approach to natural resources law, and the current
approach to manage soil resources is a good example of this.
9
Laws in the three categories are important for achieving the United Nation’s
objective for a land degradation neutral world. In this regard, paragraph 205 of The
Future We Want, contextualises the issues of desertification, degradation and
drought.
10 It recognised ‘the economic and social significance of good land management, including soil, particularly its contribution to economic growth, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and food security, eradicating poverty, women’s
empowerment, addressing climate change and improving water availability’. It
also urged that ‘desertification, land degradation and drought are challenges of a
global dimension and continue to pose serious challenges to the sustainable development of all countries, in particular developing countries. Further, paragraph
206 recognises, ‘the need for urgent action to reverse land degradation. In view of
this, we will strive to achieve a land-degradation neutral world in the context of
sustainable development.’ Paragraph 207 sets out a broad framework for national,
regional and international action in order to monitor land degradation and to restore
degraded lands in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas.
2 Development of Soil Conservation in Australia
In the Australian Glossary of Terms Used in Soil Conservation, “soil conservation”
is defined as the “prevention, mitigation or control of soil erosion and degradation
through the application to land of cultural, vegetative, structural and land management measures, either singly or in combination, which enables stability and productivity to be maintained for future generations”.
11 In this definition, the reference to
“structural and land management measures” includes the methods and approaches
used to prevent soil erosion and restore land.
12 These activities are reflected in the
9 Bates (2016).
10 The Future We Want, UN Doc A/66/L 56.
11 Houghton and Charman (1986), p. 116.
12 E.g. see reference in Preamble to the New South Wales Soil Conservation Act 1938 as “an Act to
make provision for the conservation of soil resources and farm water resources and for the
mitigation of erosion”; under Section 4 of the Western Australian Soil and Land Conservation
Act 1945 “soil conservation” means the application to land of cultural, vegetation and land
management measures, either singly or in combination, to attain and maintain an appropriate
level of land use and stability of that land in perpetuity and includes the use of measures to prevent
or mitigate the effects of land degradation; under Section 3 of the Northern Territory Soil
184
I. Hannam