Rural Area Development Indicators (what we measure)

Overview

What is High Quality Soil?

Soil class makes up one of the three components of the Land Use Capability Assessment (LUCA). The LUCA assesses how productive different land is for different uses. The LUCA has three basic components – class, subclass and unit (Landcare Research 2002).

• Soil class is used the most and classifies land from I (the most versatile and productive class) to VIII (the class with most limitations). Soil Classes I, II, and III are considered high quality soils within Matamata-Piako District Council’s District Plan.
• The subclass divides the land in each class according to the major kind of limitation to its use. The subclasses are erosion, wetness, soil or climate.
• The capability unit groups together land inventory units that require the same kind of management and the same kind and intensity of conservation treatment. Areas of land that have the same unit are capable of growing the same kind of crops, pasture or forest species.

Council monitors the subdivision of rural land on high class soils. This type of land fragmentation could result in future shortages of properties of suitable size for viable farming and horticultural units.

The number of applications received to subdivide class I, II and III soils into lots less than 8 hectares has varied between 10 and 42 per year between 2000/01 and 2010/11. The numbers of lots created were highest between 2004 and 2006. The majority of these applications were for the subdivision of rural land into rural-residential lots with a couple of applications received for the creation of residential and business lots.