Damon Mcknight
Australia's land resources are used for the production of goods and services. The dominant land use is livestock grazing, which occurs mostly on native vegetation and makes up 56% of the country. Nature conservation and other forms of protection are the second most common land use, with approximately 7% of Australia set aside for this purpose. Other protected areas, including those for use by Indigenous Australians, cover more than 13% of the country. The Australian government has been working to return lands to Indigenous communities, and the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 has resulted in almost 50% of the Northern Territory being returned to Aboriginal peoples.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Livestock grazing | 56% (4.3 million sq km) |
| Nature conservation | 7% (569,240 sq km) |
| Protected areas for Indigenous Australians | 13% (1 million sq km) |
| Broadacre cropping | 3.5% (270,000 sq km) |
| Horticulture | <0.1% (5,000 sq km) |
| Dryland cropping | 3% |
| Production forestry | <2% |
| Intensive agriculture | <2% |
| Urban and residential | <2% |
| Mining and waste | <2% |
| Water bodies | <2% |
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What You'll Learn
Land use for agriculture and livestock grazing
Agriculture and livestock grazing are two of the most common ways people in Australia use the land. During the 2016-17 financial year, agricultural businesses operated across just over half (51%) of Australia's total land area, or about 394 million hectares. This marks a 6% increase from the previous year, with 2,400 more agricultural businesses—a 3% increase from 2015-16 estimates.
Of the 394 million hectares of land operated by agricultural businesses, 341 million hectares (or 87%) were used for grazing, with a 9% increase compared to 2015-16. Queensland is the largest contributor to grazing land, with 129 million hectares of land used for grazing in 2016-17. In total, 65,000 agricultural businesses (or 74% of all agricultural businesses) reported grazing land, a 6% increase from the previous year.
In addition to grazing, agricultural businesses also cultivated 23 million hectares of land for crops and/or pasture during 2016-17, a 935,000 hectare (or 4%) increase from 2015-16. This increase was driven by South Australia and Western Australia, which saw increases of 8% and 4% respectively. In 2016-17, an estimated 25,600 agricultural businesses also undertook some form of crop stubble and/or trash management practices over an area of 21 million hectares.
The use of land for agriculture and livestock grazing has a significant impact on Australia's natural resources, affecting water, soil, nutrients, plants, and animals. It is also closely linked to economic and social conditions, particularly in regional Australia.
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Land rights for Indigenous Australians
The Indigenous land rights movement in Australia has been a long and ongoing struggle for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and interests in the land and waters they occupied before colonisation. For almost 200 years, First Nations peoples lost rights to their lands as white settlers encroached.
The modern land rights movement began with the 1963 Yolngu Bark Petition, when the Yolngu people of Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land petitioned the federal government to regain their land and rights. This was followed by the 1966 Wave Hill Walk-Off, or Gurundji Strike, which started as a protest against working conditions but evolved into a land rights issue. In 1966, the South Australian Aboriginal Lands Trust Act was passed, marking the first significant recognition of Aboriginal land rights by an Australian government.
In the 1970s, Indigenous Australians became more politically active, and the Labor Party made Aboriginal land rights part of its successful 1972 federal election campaign platform. As a result, the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act was passed in 1976, a landmark piece of social reform that recognised Indigenous land rights and interests in the Northern Territory. This Act provided legal title and a measure of control over traditional lands, allowing Indigenous landowners to determine the pace and extent of their involvement in the broader Australian society and economy.
Today, land rights schemes are in place across Australia, including in the Northern Territory, Queensland (including the Torres Strait Islands), New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. These schemes recognise traditional interests in the land and protect them by granting legal ownership to Aboriginal people. The Native Title Act of 1993 further recognised Indigenous land rights by acknowledging that these rights are sourced from their continuing connection to the land under traditional laws and customs.
The various land rights acts and schemes have contributed to the peaceful and responsible development of Indigenous lands, avoiding violent confrontations between landowners and developers. They have also facilitated the involvement of Indigenous peoples in the Australian economy, demonstrating that respecting land rights can be compatible with national economic development.
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Land management for nature conservation
One of the key strategies employed by the Australian government is the establishment of protected areas. These include national parks and nature reserves, which are managed by the government to preserve the country's unique biodiversity. Additionally, Australia has pioneered Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), which are managed through voluntary agreements between Indigenous landowners and the government. These IPAs cover over 74 million hectares, constituting almost half of the country's protected land.
The Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) plays a crucial role in conserving, managing, and restoring nature on private land. They advocate for initiatives that restore endangered ecosystems, combat invasive species, and deploy nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change. ALCA also works to expand conservation finance, recognizing the need for collective action and systemic change to address nature decline and biodiversity loss.
To further enhance conservation efforts, Australia has committed to the Global Biodiversity Framework, aiming to protect at least 30% of its land by 2030. This includes working with state governments to safeguard large, biodiverse ecosystems and establishing dedicated funds for purchasing land with high biodiversity importance. The country's former Native Vegetation Framework also reflects its commitment to maintaining and restoring healthier native vegetation.
Australia's approach to land management for nature conservation is comprehensive, involving collaboration between government, Indigenous communities, and private organizations. By integrating conservation with agricultural policies and economic development, Australia strives to balance land use and protect its natural resources.
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Land use for urban settlements
Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world. Urban policy frameworks in Australia have provisions for the development and use of land. The rezoning of land on the urban fringe and the redevelopment and subdivision of property in existing urban areas are essential to accommodating the dynamic populations of Australian cities. Urban regions typically require flat or gently sloping land. However, this is not always the case, as some urban regions, such as Rio de Janeiro, are built on steep gradients. Urban regions are generally limited in mountainous regions due to steep slopes, limited water supply, and colder temperatures.
In Australia, the most densely populated 1% of the country contains nearly seven-eighths of the total population. Urban centres and localities with populations of 20,000 or more are combined when they are within a 3km road distance of each other. As urban centres expand, the distance between settlements can decrease, resulting in the amalgamation of multiple settlements into a single urban centre. This process is influenced by the design criteria of statistical areas, which may include factors such as population size and alignment with suburb and locality boundaries.
To promote sustainable development and structured growth in Australian cities, metropolitan planning strategies emphasise the importance of coordinating land-use planning with the provision of housing, social infrastructure, and transport. Inclusionary zoning interventions by the government can mandate or incentivise the inclusion of affordable housing in residential developments.
Historically, the settlement patterns in Australia have been influenced by farming and grazing belts, as well as prominent mining centres. Despite their economic importance, relatively few Australians live in rural districts. The economies of larger towns in these areas often include food and fibre processing, as well as light industries.
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Land use and climate change
Land use in Australia encompasses various activities, including the production of goods such as crops, timber, and manufacturing, as well as services like defence, recreation, biodiversity preservation, and natural resource protection. The dominant form of land use is livestock grazing, occupying approximately 56% of the country's land area. Other agricultural practices, such as broadacre cropping and horticulture, occupy smaller proportions.
Climate change has significant implications for land use in Australia. Natural ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to its effects, with 10 out of 19 collapsing Australian terrestrial, marine, and Antarctic ecosystems linked to global climate change. The impacts vary across regions, influenced by the interaction between soils, terrain, local climates, and land use. Climate change intensifies and increases the unpredictability of bushfires, leading to substantial losses, including lives, economic assets, agriculture, and the environment.
Additionally, climate change affects the distribution, abundance, and behaviours of species, as well as the structure and functions of ecosystems. It poses challenges to agriculture, which is the dominant source of methane and nitrous oxide emissions in Australia, largely due to livestock, savanna burning, and emissions from soils. Warmer climates and improved logistics further contribute to the risk of exotic pests and diseases, impacting both the environment and agriculture.
To address these challenges, Australia is implementing reforms to its biosecurity system to ensure responsiveness and adaptability in a dynamic global trading environment. Indigenous knowledge and practices, such as the Arnhem Land Fire Abatement program and the Firesticks Alliance, are also being recognised and incorporated into fire management strategies.
Understanding the potential future influence of environmental, economic, and social factors on land use and sustainability is crucial for guiding strategic decisions. Integrated approaches, such as the Land-Use Trade-Offs (LUTO) model, help analyse and prepare for the complex interactions between global change and domestic policies, enabling Australia to adapt to change, seize opportunities, and manage unforeseen events.
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Frequently asked questions
The dominant use of land in Australia is livestock grazing, which occurs mostly on native vegetation and makes up 56% of the land.
Nature conservation and other forms of protection are the second most common use of land in Australia, covering 36% of the country's land area.
Under the Australian Constitution, state governments are primarily responsible for land administration and public land management. The Australian Government has a limited land ownership and management role, primarily focused on promoting efficient land management and allocation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have occupied the lands and waters of Australia for millennia and have defended their rights to their homelands since colonisation. In 1975, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically returned lands to the Gurindji people, and the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 led to almost 50% of the Northern Territory being returned to Aboriginal peoples.
