Soil Data

AxisTech has been appointed as a data broker for the Historical Soil Capture Payments Program, which is part of the National Soil Strategy.

The National Soil Strategy is a 20-year strategy that sets out how Australia will value, manage and improve its soil. The Strategy has been developed in collaboration with state and territory governments, the National Soils Advocate and other major stakeholders in soil science and land management.

Under this program, the Australian Government will pay up to $10,000 to farmers or landowners in exchange for sharing access and use rights to their soil data repository.

AxisTech will liaise with data owners to access historical soil data and collate, manage, and confirm the data to meet program standards. AxisTech will share this soil data with the government making it available through the Australian National Soil Information System (ANSIS).

AxisTech will engage with data owners to:

• • • determine the quality, value, and eligibility of their historical soil data
    • sign a data-sharing agreement to gain access to the data. This agreement will outline how the data broker and government can access, store, and use soil data shared with the program
    • complete a qualitative survey to provide information about land management practices to help administer the program and give context to the data
    • enter into a commercial agreement to provide payments to data owners.

Please click here to view the initial media release from the Minister for Agriculture.

Participating in the Program

To be eligible to participate:

• • • Data owners must be a farmer, land manager or an entity that owns soil data and are based in Australia
    • Soil data must have been tested in a certified laboratory before 1/1/22.
    • Willing to sign data-sharing agreements to share soil information and
    • Complete a qualitative survey about land and management practices

Owners can receive payment based on the number of soil properties (i.e. physical, chemical and biological soil characteristics) tested per sample.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why should I get involved in this program?

A. Some of the reasons are listed below:

• • • Increase the amount of soil data available for all Australians to use;
    • Better soil data will lead to improved research, technology and policy outcomes and will benefit all Australians;
    • Reduce the loss of high-quality historic soil data and make it accessible through a national soil database; and,
    • Financial incentives to the data owner.

Q. What will I receive?

A. You will receive payments based on the number of soil properties (ie. physical, chemical and biological soil characteristics) tested per sample as follows:

Quantity	Amount
5 soil properties	$50
Between 6 and 10 soil properties	$100
Between 11 and 15 soil properties	$150
More than 16 soil properties	$200

Each business or individual can receive up to $10,000 in total. If a company or individual has data valued at more than $10,000, AxisTech will assist in prioritising what data sets the department is most interested in accessing.

Q. How do I upload my soil data?

A. You will receive an email with a link to sign up to AxisStream, where you can complete the online form and upload sample soil data. From there, your data is sent to the DAFF for eligibility. You will then be notified if you have been approved. If you are approved, we will contact you with details on how to complete the process and receive payment.

Q. What is the Data Sharing Agreement for?

A. All participants in the program are required to complete a Data Sharing Agreement, which outlines how the data owner’s soil information can and cannot be used. The Data Sharing Agreement gives the Commonwealth perpetual permission to access, store and use soil information per the terms outlined in the data sharing deed.

Q. What personal information will be collected for this program?

A. Collection of some personal information is a requirement of program participation and will help to verify eligibility and for program administration. Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual or a reasonably identifiable individual. The department will collect personal information, including name and contact details, as well as soil data georeferencing information (as defined by the Privacy Act 1988) for program administration, verifying participant eligibility and other related purposes.

Q. Do I retain ownership of my soil information?

A. Participants retain ownership of their soil information. The data will also be standardised and fully accessible within your own data store in the AxisStream data management platform. Please contact AxisTech for more information on how you can use this data for your own purposes.

• • • Soil data georeferencing information is collected to provide the exact location of data points when accessed by specific users of ANSIS, to support program administration and other related purposes.

Q. How will the anonymity of the data be protected?

A. Names and contact details will not be stored or made available through ANSIS. Soil data collected through this program will only be displayed at the aggregate level when viewed by the public, meaning individual soil data geolocations will be combined with other soil data to exclude exact location information.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has taken every reasonable step to protect participant anonymity and prevent soil data from being used for non-approved purposes. Please see the department’s Privacy Policy for more information.

For more Questions and Answers about the Program from DAFF, please click here.

To complete an Expression of Interest for the soil data capture payments program, please click on the Enquire Now button below. 

To register for the soil data capture payments program, please click on the Register Now button below.

• Complete the registration form and upload sample soil data.
• Once we have received your form, we will assess your eligibility and then forward your documentation to DAFF for approval.
• Upload your complete soil data and complete the Qualitative Survey (the survey provides context to the data as well as information about land management practices), Data Sharing Deed (the deed outlines how soil data can and cannot be used) and Commercial Arrangement.
• Once your soil data, documentation and department approval have been received, we will process your data and make it available to the department.
• The DAFF will pay us for your data, and we will forward the payment to you.