This paper reviews knowledge of nitrogen and phosphorus generation from land use and export to waterways, including studies relevant to Australia. It provides a link between current and future modelling requirements, and the context for incorporation of this knowledge into catchment models for use by catchment managers. Selected catchment models used by catchment managers are reviewed, and factors limiting their application are addressed. The review highlights the importance of dissolved N and P for overland flow and groundwater pathways, for sheep, beef and dairy grazing land use. Consequently, the effectiveness of riparian buffers to remove N and P may not be adequate. Consideration of the effects of rainfall and hydrology, dissolved P and N losses from pastures and event-based catchment-scale loads are therefore important factors that should be incorporated into catchment models. The review shows that it is likely that nutrient losses under Australian dairying conditions have many similarities to worldwide studies. Catchment models need to represent the importance of event-based loads, intensively farmed land use, management and forms of nutrients. Otherwise there is a likelihood of either underestimating nutrient losses, or potentially overestimating the effectiveness of riparian buffers.