Nominations for the 2027 General Jeffery Soil Health Award open December 5, 2026
The 2027 General Jeffrey Soil Health Award honours the remarkable work done by Australia’s first National Soils Advocate, former Governor General, Major General the Hon. Michael Jeffery, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd) and perpetuates his legacy.
As Australia’s first National Soils Advocate, General Jeffery passionately advocated for improvements in the health of our agricultural landscape. By championing soil health from Parliament House to the paddock, he successfully changed attitudes towards soil sustainability and energised change on farms right across Australia. He relentlessly pursued his focus on the importance of integrated management of soil, water, animals and plants to the benefit of all Australians and our environment.
Healthy, well managed soil is a vital part of the sustainability and productivity of our agricultural sector and the natural environment. Soils are the basis of food production, food security and human health, and this award acknowledges people who are working to protect, conserve and build the health of our soils.
The 2027 General Jeffery Soil Health Award recognises the work of people who care for soil health and who are educating or inspiring others. The Award will accept nominations from individuals, groups or organisations who are actively involved in activities to protect and improve soil health, including landcare groups, farmers, farming systems groups, land managers, extension specialists and educators.
Nominees must demonstrate leadership in natural resource management and a commitment to improving sustainable land management to improve soil health by:
- actively shaping and guiding innovative natural resource management and sustainable agriculture activities to improve soil health
- applying excellent soil health management practices on–ground
- educating and raising awareness about the importance of maintaining and improving soil health
- encouraging action and championing the uptake of sustainable soil health practices
- communicating knowledge and advocating for soil health management
- mentoring and/or inspiring others to adopt best practice soil health management practices to restore, enhance and protect the natural environment.
All award nominations will be assessed by an independent Advisory Panel with an understanding and experience in soil health.
The 2027 General Jeffery Soil Health Award winner will be presented at the 2027 National Landcare Awards gala dinner on Tuesday 7 September at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The Award winner will receive $20,000 (ex GST) in funding to complete an agreed soils project. The prize includes a travel package to attend the 2027 National Landcare Awards gala dinner.
The 2027 General Jeffery Soil Health Award is funded by the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust. Landcare Australia administers the Award on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). The General Jeffrey Soil Health Award was established in 2020 by the Office of the National Soils Advocate.
General Jeffery Soil Health Award Criteria
Criteria
The General Jeffery Soil Health Award is open to individuals, groups or organisations who are actively involved in activities to protect and improve soil health, including landcare groups, farmers, farming systems groups, land managers, extension specialists and educators. Self-nominations are not eligible. Each nomination will be judged against the following criteria:
Champions Soil Health (write up to 300 words)
- What has been done to develop and/or apply good land management practices that has resulted in quantifiable improvements in soil characteristics/soil health.
- What has been done to extend knowledge and champion improved soil health management, and what was the impact.
- What has been done to educate and/or raise awareness about the impact of maintaining and improving soil health.
Remarkable Leadership, Influence and Commitment (write up to 300 words)
- Describe how the nominee has been involved in sustainable land management and soil health at a regional or national level.
- Describe how the nominee has inspired others to make changes that quantifiably improve soil health and/or to become an advocate for changes in soil management.
- Describe how the nominee has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to promoting soil health and soil sustainability.
- What has been done to inspire others (examples may include primary, secondary and tertiary educators) to be interested in soil health issues and influence their long-term thinking e.g. holding community meetings or workshops, webinars, field days, producing podcasts or videos and more).
- What impact has the nominee had in either the region where they operate in or at a national scale on soil health management practices and awareness. How have their efforts made a difference.
Inspires and Influence Others to Make a Change (write up to 300 words)
- How has the nominee encouraged and educated others with extension activities, communications outreach, education services and knowledge sharing.
- Describe how the nominee promotes both the need for and the benefits of soil health improvement activities. How does the nominee promote the results of these activities to a broad audience. For example, through blogs, social media, books, science media engagement, industry or environmental publications, webinars, high-profile or public events, meetings with influencers.
- How has the nominee been involved in developing, evaluating and promoting practical sustainable soil management beyond regional boundaries and through innovative means.
Effective Use of Prize Money (write up to 300 words)
- How will the nominee spend the $20,000 (ex GST) prize money to effectively extend their soil health work.
Eligibility
To be eligible, nominees must be actively involved in natural resource management, sustainable land management and agriculture, they must meet the following criteria:
- Individual nominee: An Australian citizen actively engaged in natural resource management or sustainable land management and agriculture to improve soil health.
- Group nominee: An Australian community-led group including landcare groups, landcare networks and farming systems groups.
- Organisation nominee: An Australian-owned, not-for-profit, non-government entity demonstrating leadership in natural resource management and sustainable agriculture, or in research.
- Research nominee: An Australian-owned tertiary institution who hosts a research team or academic specialising in soil health.
- Commitment: Demonstrated dedication to environmental stewardship and promoting sustainable practices to improve soil health.
- No self-nomination. Nominations can only be made by a third party.
- If selected for the short list by the General Jeffery Soil Health Award Advisory Panel, nominees will be contacted via phone and interviewed with the following questions:
- What are the key messages you would like to convey to media and promotional activity, including events and speeches?
- What issues concern you, that if selected as a winner, you would like to communicate.
- If selected as a winner, what will your priorities be?
Entry Rules Conditions
- The General Jeffery Soil Health Award will accept nominations from individuals, groups or organisations who are actively involved in activities to protect and improve soil health, including landcare groups, farmers, farming systems groups, land managers, extension specialists and educators.
- If you are making a nomination for an individual, group or organisation, you can only nominate them once. You can make more than once nomination, but this must be for another individual, group or organisation.
- Please provide details for two referees. One of the referees must be a contact working as a Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator (SAF), for a NRM/CMA organisation, or for an industry body who can verify the nominee’s ability to meet the criteria for the General Jeffery Soil Health Award.
- Acceptance of an entry into the General Jeffery Soil Health Award is at the sole discretion of Landcare Australia to the extent that Landcare Australia can refuse to accept any entry without providing a reason.
- Landcare Australia accepts no responsibility for entry submissions not received by the deadline of March 31, 2027.
- Entries must be electronic, submitted using the online entry form at landcareaustralia.org.au. Postal, fax or email entries will not be accepted
- The General Jeffery Soil Health Award prize package is worth $20,000 ex GST. As part of the entry, nominees are required to provide an overview in 300 words or less on how the prize money would be used for a soils project.
- If selected as a winner, a project proposal will be required outlining how the winner will spend the $20,000 (ex GST) grant money to complete an agreed soils project.
- The decision of the General Jeffery Soil Health Award Advisory Panel (the judges) will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The submissions for the three finalists will be retained by Landcare Australia, all other entries accepted into the award nomination process may be destroyed. No entry will be returned to the entrant.
- All nominations accept that Landcare Australia has permission to show their entry at the National Landcare Awards gala dinner, and for the purposes of communications, marketing and media activity by Landcare Australia and the Australian Government.
- The winning entry must make themselves available at their place of home/work to be filmed about their award nomination for a video that will be shown at the National Landcare Awards gala dinner and for communications, marketing and media purposes by Landcare Australia and the Australian Government.
- Award nominees must permit Landcare Australia or their agents to edit and publish sufficient information about the award entry so that the general public can understand it. This information may be used for communications, marketing and media purposes.
- Current Landcare Australia employees or their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. Former employees may enter but may not submit entries based on their work at Landcare Australia.
- The submission of all relevant information to the judges is the responsibility of the nominator, however judges may seek further information or clarification if necessary.
Proprietary Information
Information contained in the submission will be used as follows:
- Landcare Australia and the Advisory Panel will use information disclosed in submissions and entries for evaluating the entry.
- Information contained in submissions and entries may be used by Landcare Australia or its agents in preparing communications, marketing and media activity, including for promotional purposes, publications, media relations, social media and presentations. The information provided with the awards submission may be edited to be suitable for Landcare Australia communications channels.
- No guarantee of confidentiality can be provided, however if there is information associated with an entrant’s submission that the entrant/nominee wishes to remain confidential, the entrant/nominee should first contact Landcare Australia.
Conditions of Entry
It is a condition of entry that you have read and accepted all entry rules and conditions.
- I confirm that the information in this entry/nomination is true and correct to the best of my knowledge as at the date the entry was submitted.
- I agree to all the entry rules and conditions defined above.
- I agree that except for information clearly labelled as confidential, all information contained in the entry form may be used by Landcare Australia or its agents in preparing communications, marketing and media materials to promote the General Jeffery Soil Health Award and to promote landcare.
- Landcare Australia reserves the right to declare an entry ineligible if by reasonable opinion, the award entrant is unable to represent or promote the General Jeffery Soil Health Award in a satisfactory manner; or if the entry does not meet the criteria.
- The decision made by the General Jeffery Soil Health Award Advisory Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Landcare Australia accepts no responsibility for entry submissions not received by the deadline.
FAQs
When do nominations close?
Nominations will close March 31, 2027.
How will award nominations be assessed?
All award nominations will be assessed by an independent Advisory Panel with an understanding and experience in soil health.
When will I hear about my nomination?
People who submit a nomination will be contacted in 2027.
Where and when will the award be presented?
The 2027 General Jefferey Soil Health Award will be presented at the 2027 National Landcare Awards gala dinner on Tuesday 7 September 2027 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Why is the award named after General Jeffery?
The 2027 General Jeffrey Soil Health Award honours the remarkable work done by Australia’s first National Soils Advocate, former Governor General, Major General the Hon. Michael Jeffery, AC, AO (Mil), CVO, MC (Retd) and perpetuates his legacy.
As Australia’s first National Soils Advocate, General Jeffery passionately advocated for improvements in the health of our agricultural landscape. By championing soil health from Parliament House to the paddock, he successfully changed attitudes towards soil sustainability and energised change on farms right across Australia. He relentlessly pursued his focus on the importance of integrated management of soil, water, animals and plants to the benefit of all Australians and our environment.
How is the award funded?
The 2027 General Jeffery Soil Health Award is funded by the Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust. Landcare Australia administers the Award on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). The General Jeffrey Soil Health Award was established in 2020 by the Office of the National Soils Advocate.
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