Soil moisture and soil surface condition improved across most of Australia.
National average top-6m moisture availability increased by 28 mm to reach values not seen since 2011. Values were 10% more than the previous year and 8% above the 2000–2020 average.
Soil moisture increased or remained stable nearly everywhere, with the greatest increases along the coast and Great Dividing Range of NSW and Gippsland due to rains in March and November.
Considerable increases also occurred in the WA Gascoyne region, the Top End and Cape York, and Central Australia.
Soil moisture remained below average along the Queensland coast between Mackay and Noosa.
Rank of soil exposure by Bioregion.
National average soil protection by vegetation and leaf litter improved from poor conditions in the previous two years. Soil exposure was 7% better than the previous year and 3% worse than the 2000–2020 average.
Soil surface conditions improved across much of Australia. The best conditions since 2000 were observed in many coastal regions, including a strong recovery in areas affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires.
National average soil moisture content.
Soil surface conditions declined to below-average conditions in the Channel Country and Mitchell Grass Downs due to a lack of large-scale flooding. Soil condition remained stable below the 2000–2020 average due to the cumulative impact of fire in previous years in inland WA, especially in the Goldfields Region.
