This map identifies the dominant soil types across NSW using the Australian Soils Classification (ASC) at Order level. It uses the best available soil resource mapping coverage incorporating over 55 different datasets of multiple scales across NSW.

The formal ASC classification has been slightly modified in this map to further identify 2 extra sub-classes - soils with alluvial origins in the Rudosol order and soils with sodium-rich subsoils in the Kurosol order category.

Soil types are representative of the dominant facet (sub-landscape) of each map unit and allocated using a lookup table system, linking a Great Soil Group classification soil type to the most appropriate Australian Soil Classification (ASC) class (see LUT table in data package). In some areas (north coast region and Cobargo area), an ASC classification has been assigned to map units directly without using a lookup system. These areas are identified in the ASC confidence map found within in the data package. While the ASC classification commonly equates to a particular GSG soil type classification, this is is not always the case and therefore ASC classifications allocated manually, will have a higher accuracy.

Online Maps: This dataset can be viewed using eSPADE (NSW’s soil spatial viewer), which contains a suite of soil and landscape information including soil profile data. Many of these datasets have hot-linked soil reports. An alternative viewer is the SEED Map; an ideal way to see what other natural resources datasets (e.g. vegetation) are available for this map area.

Reference: Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, 2021, Australian Soil Classification (ASC) Soil Type map of NSW, Version 4.5, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Parramatta.