Corangamite Soil Health Knowledge Base
- Authors: Thompson, Helen , Dahlhaus, Peter , MacLeod, Andrew , McKenna, Kirsten
- Type: Text , Dataset
- Full Text: false
- Description: The Corangamite Corangamite soil health knowledge base is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by Federation University Australia. The Corangamite soil health knowledge base is a collaborative research project between the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation University Australia (FedUni). The aim of the research is to develop a comprehensive, informative, intuitive-to-use knowledge base of soil health information that will assist the broader community to respect the values of the soils of the Corangamite region. The project was initiated in June 2013. The research is overseen by the Corangamite CMA Land Health Program Steering Committee. The role of the committee in the project is to advise on the function, use and relevance of the data and information sources in the knowledge base, which is an online repository of soil health information and knowledge: including reports, research papers, maps and descriptions related to current and past soil series mapping, land capability and suitability assessments, agricultural trials, and soil research and investigations. Soil health studies in the Corangamite region date from 1936. The most recent document to revisit soil health issues in the Corangamite region is Soils Vision: A 20-year plan to improve broad-acre agricultural soils in south west Victoria, known as the 'south west agricultural soils plan' (SWASP). This community-led initiative brought together a collaboration of farming groups, agricultural industries, government agencies and research institutions to identify the activities required to improve the condition of soils used for agriculture in South West Victoria. The goal of this project is to provide the essential background knowledge required to implement the appropriate SWASP soil health actions customised for each of the 15 Local Catchment Plans in the Corangamite region. Project aim and research questions The overall aim this project is to develop a comprehensive, informative, intuitive-to-use knowledge base of soil health information that will assist the broader community implement the SWASP within the LCPs of the Corangamite region. To achieve this, the following key questions emerge: What information exists and how relevant is it to the current soil health issues? How reliable is the information and to which landscapes does it apply? How can the relevant soil health information be best maintained and disseminated?
Corangamite NRM Planning Portal
- Authors: Dalhaus, Peter , Thompson, Helen , MacLeod, Andrew , McKenna, Kirsten
- Type: Text , Dataset
- Full Text: false
- Description: The Corangamite NRM Planning Portal has been developed to support the creation of local catchment plans in the Corangamite region. It is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by Federation University Australia. The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA), in collaboration with the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation(CeRDI) at Federation University Australia (FedUni), the Woady Yaloak Catchment Group (WYCG) and the Surf Coast and Inland Plains Network (SCIPN) is undertaking this pilot project to develop Local Catchment Plans for catchment management in the Corangamite region. This pilot project is testing how online mapping can be used to match local and regional priorities for catchment management in the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority region. The objective is to empower Landcare networks, community groups and stakeholders with the capability to identify ‘joint priorities’ for progressing in partnership. The project also provides access to a considerable knowledge base of spatial data, information and knowledge, to assist stakeholders in setting their local priorities. Project aim The primary aim is to spatially overlay local and regional natural resource management (NRM) priorities to identify ‘joint priorities’ for potential partnership and investment. The initial tasks of developing local priorities was undertaken by the respective Networks and included participation by around 100 community members at each Network to identify 5-6 year Strategic Plans. The collaborators have the common aim of building web-based tools for the CMA community to easily access the most current environmental datasets applicable to integrated catchment management and modelling. The projects promote the sharing of knowledge and information through the internet, allowing people to gain insights, present ideas, advice and information in a friendly and easy to use format, available at people’s convenience. It allows the Corangamite CMA community to grow their knowledge and share their thoughts and enthusiasm for their landscapes. It will also help guide groups and individuals to develop on-ground action plans through the provision of standardised templates and authoritative advice on a range of matters in catchment management, agricultural soil management, nature conservation and on-ground activities.
Corangamite Catchment Management Authority Knowledge Base
- Authors: Thompson, Helen , Dahlhaus, Peter , MacLeod, Andrew , McKenna, Kirsten
- Type: Text , Dataset
- Full Text: false
- Description: The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority Knowledge Base is part of an interoperable web-GIS maintained by Federation University Australia. The site provides an extensive collection of publications and Datasets on all aspects of the catchment. The collection focuses on information written specifically for the Corangamite Region. The database has been indexed by subject and locality for information retrieval and analysis. Federation University Australia's Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation is hosting the site on behalf of the CCMA. The Federation University Australia Corangamite Catchment Management Authority Knowledge Base was established to ensure the protection and sustainable development of land, vegetation and water resources within a boundary stretching from Geelong to Ballarat and along the coast to Peterborough. About 380,000 people live in the catchment's 13,340 square kilometres of south-western Victoria and 175 kilometres of coastal fringe. The region is defined by four river basins - the Moorabool, Barwon, Lake Corangamite and Otway Coast. It includes all or part of the cities of Ballarat and Greater Geelong, the Borough of Queenscliff and the shires of Moorabool, Surf Coast, Corangamite, Golden Plains, Colac Otway and Moyne. Related initiatives include Soil Health, an online repository of soil health information and knowledge: including reports, research papers, maps and descriptions related to current and past soil series mapping, land capability and suitability assessments, agricultural trials, and soil research and investigations; and, NRM Planning, a pilot project testing how online mapping can be used to match local and regional priorities for catchment management in the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority region.