Soil science education and public awareness of its applicability is essential. Lack of understanding of the soil properties and their management can result in severe impacts on the environment especially when farmland, is developed into residential estates. An example is the South Harbour area of Port Macquarie, one of the fastest growing towns in NSW, Australia. Until the 1970s, this town which relied on agriculture and fishing but since that time has become a major tourist, holiday resort and retirement destination. To accommodate the population increase, farmland has been subdivided into residential lots.

For South Harbour a plan for the development was devised, taking into consideration the soil constraints. However, once development commenced the soil management procedures were gradually changed. The area became saline and had acid problems that would have impacted on the environment and on engineering structures. All work had to cease because the land was no longer suitable for residential development. Legal action followed and a soil scientist was employed to develop a strategy which eventually succeeded in remediation of the site.

A conflict of interest had arisen because economically farming was unsustainable and residential development was a suitable option because population increase would result in more prosperity for the town. The project manager had not understood that the strategies for the management of soil were essential to protect not only the environment, but also the buildings and infrastructure at the site.