Land Use

An understanding of the use of the land and the management practices within a land use category, provides valuable information about the reasons for change in the condition of our natural resources. This information in turn can be incorporated into strategic planning and development at all levels with the aim of optimising land use, assessing suitability, enhancing productivity and ultimately achieving sustainable practices.

More than half of Victoria is freehold agricultural land, while around 39% of the state is public land, consisting of National and State Parks, Forests and Declared Water Supply Catchments.

For more information on land use in Victoria and its CMAs, and more detailed information on the CMAs of Corangamite and Port Phillip & Westernport specifically, please follow this link.

Public Land percentage

The current Victorian land use map was created from data collected between 1996 (South West, North Central) and 2005 (North East, Lower Goulburn). The land use classification system used in Victoria is the Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) classification. This consists of six main categories, each further divided into two extra tiers. The six primary categories are:

1 Conservation and Natural Environments
2 Production from Relatively Natural Environments
3 Production from Dryland Agriculture and Plantation
4 Production from Irrigated Agriculture and Plantation
5 Intensive Uses
6 Water.

Victorian land use

For further information on the ALUM classification method, please refer to the Bureau of Rural Sciences’ Land Use Mapping for Australia (external link). The map to the right shows the temporal extent of the various land use layers used to create the Victorian Land use map.

Victorian Land Use Information System (VLUIS)
The current land use data is static, that is, it is a snapshot of land use in Victoria at a moment in time. The VLUIS project aims to develop a method to re-create the information on a regular basis, because the ability of the current range of information sources and tools to support policy development and program monitoring is dependent on access to up-to-date, comprehensive land use and land management information. However, one of the major problems with these tools and frameworks is a lack of access to current sources of land use and land management information that are both reliable and repeatable. The VLUIS project has been developed to address this issue. Please follow the link for more detailed information about the VLUIS project and its objectives.

Land Use Information
Two basic land tenures exist in Victoria, freehold land (private) and public land. Each can be divided into a range of broad land uses as shown on this map.

Pie Chart - Major Land use

Land Use in 1944
In 1944 the State and Regional Boundaries Committee produced an Atlas of maps covering Victoria's Land Use, Population, Natural Resources etc. Here are presented a number of the maps showing Land Use across Victoria in 1944.

Satellite Image of Victoria
The satellite image shows Victoria's land use in 1993, using Landsat 5.

Adoption of Best Management Practices

The Land Use Impact Model (LUIM)
This report describes the evolution and capability of a land use impact model (LUIM) used in the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria.

Historical Geography and Landscape Change
These pages describe the Historical Geography and Landscape Change in the Costerfield District

Primary Production Landscapes
Soil and landscape data, land use maps, the climatic record, and regional experience of agronomists and land managers have been used to define Victoria’s major ‘Primary Production Landscapes’ (PPLs). These PPLs have been characterised for dominant soil types and associated inherent management issues as well as major agricultural industries and practices that occur within them. Statewide maps for key climatic variables including temperature, rainfall and growing season rainfall have been used to provide context for predicted changes in climate across the PPLs.

Land Capability in Victoria

Map showing temporal extent of land use layers

Related Links

Australian Agriculture Assessment 2001 - information about Australian agriculture; agriculture profile; changing face of agriculture; landscape balances; nutrient management; soil acidification; soil erosion and nutrient loads. This information is part of the Australian Natural Resources Atlas website (external link)

Information on irrigation in Australia - the extent of irrigation and national challenges - on the Australian Natural Resources Atlas website (external link). Includes a Victorian overview.

The Victorian Heritage Register On-line website (external link) provides a comprehensive listing of Victoria's most significant places, objects and historic shipwrecks. The Heritage Inventory lists all known historic archaeological sites and relics.

The Planning Schemes Online website (external link) provides access to the approved planning schemes for the 78 Local Government and for the 3 special planning areas in the State of Victoria. It enables viewing of land use provisions and zoning maps.

Information on the following Agricultural Industries in Australia can be found on the Australian Natural Resources Atlas website

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia website provides links to a range of documents related to mapping land use and management in Australia (including: catchment scale land use mapping program, land use mapping specifications and publications, mapping land management practices and the Australian Land Use and Management Classification - ALUM) (external link)

Landuse change, intensity and diversity in Australia. Information on the Australian Natural Resources Atlas website (external link)

The Rural Land Use Change Conference Proceedings (Melbourne, August 2002) is available on the DSE website (external link).

Land Use Mapping for Australia. This is an informative site from the Bureau of Rural Sciences in collaboration with State agency partners and their organisations, about available land use data and information in Australia. (external link)

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This document was last reviewed on 25/05/2011

An understanding of the use of the land and the management practices within a land use category, provides valuable information about the reasons for change in the condition of our natural resources. This information in turn can be incorporated into strategic planning and development at all levels with the aim of optimising land use, assessing suitability, enhancing productivity and ultimately achieving sustainable practices. More than half of Victoria is freehold agricultural land, while around 39% of the state is public land, consisting of National and State Parks, Forests and Declared Water Supply Catchments. For more information on land use in Victoria and its CMAs, and more detailed information on the CMAs of Corangamite and Port Phillip & Westernport specifically, please follow this link.
The current Victorian land use map was created from data collected between 1996 (South West, North Central) and 2005 (North East, Lower Goulburn). The land use classification system used in Victoria is the Australian Land Use and Management (ALUM) classification. This consists of six main categories, each further divided into two extra tiers. The six primary categories are: 1 Conservation and Natural Environments 2 Production from Relatively Natural Environments 3 Production from Dryland Agriculture and Plantation 4 Production from Irrigated Agriculture and Plantation 5 Intensive Uses 6 Water.		Victorian land use
For further information on the ALUM classification method, please refer to the Bureau of Rural Sciences’ Land Use Mapping for Australia (external link). The map to the right shows the temporal extent of the various land use layers used to create the Victorian Land use map. Victorian Land Use Information System (VLUIS) The current land use data is static, that is, it is a snapshot of land use in Victoria at a moment in time. The VLUIS project aims to develop a method to re-create the information on a regular basis, because the ability of the current range of information sources and tools to support policy development and program monitoring is dependent on access to up-to-date, comprehensive land use and land management information. However, one of the major problems with these tools and frameworks is a lack of access to current sources of land use and land management information that are both reliable and repeatable. The VLUIS project has been developed to address this issue. Please follow the link for more detailed information about the VLUIS project and its objectives. Land Use Information Two basic land tenures exist in Victoria, freehold land (private) and public land. Each can be divided into a range of broad land uses as shown on this map.
Land Use in 1944 In 1944 the State and Regional Boundaries Committee produced an Atlas of maps covering Victoria's Land Use, Population, Natural Resources etc. Here are presented a number of the maps showing Land Use across Victoria in 1944. Satellite Image of Victoria The satellite image shows Victoria's land use in 1993, using Landsat 5. Adoption of Best Management Practices The Land Use Impact Model (LUIM) This report describes the evolution and capability of a land use impact model (LUIM) used in the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. Historical Geography and Landscape Change These pages describe the Historical Geography and Landscape Change in the Costerfield District Primary Production Landscapes Soil and landscape data, land use maps, the climatic record, and regional experience of agronomists and land managers have been used to define Victoria’s major ‘Primary Production Landscapes’ (PPLs). These PPLs have been characterised for dominant soil types and associated inherent management issues as well as major agricultural industries and practices that occur within them. Statewide maps for key climatic variables including temperature, rainfall and growing season rainfall have been used to provide context for predicted changes in climate across the PPLs. Land Capability in Victoria		Map showing temporal extent of land use layers