Region: Ballarat

Legal Number: LEGL/93-29

Plantation: Scarsdale

Size: 1200ha+

Conservation Priority: High

THREATENED FISH NOTES - WOADY YALOAK RIVER: Yarra Pygmy Perch possibly found in this river.

The Nationally Threatened Temperate Grassland & Grassy Eucalypt Woodland Ecological Community may occur in this plantation or in close proximity.

More Information:

http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/publications/pubs/grasslands-victoria.pdf

 

March 13 2006: Snake Valley Bushfire A Threat

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment looking east. On March 12 2006, 1100 hectares of pine was burnt during bushfires near Linton (20km south west of Ballarat). Between April and August 2006, 200,000 tonnes of pine was salvaged. This is the aftermath. FSC certified of course! Note lack of buffers on drainage line.

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment. Deep ripping of soil assures that during low rainfall events will see much of the water trapped on site, denying the river system downstream of much needed environmental flows. As the pine trees re-establish themselves more water will be used. A plantation this size in this rainfall area will use approximately 8,000 MegaLitres of water per year whilst growing.

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment. Logging road through drainage line. No buffers are evident. Herbicides will soon be applied on site.

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment.

Google Earth image taken after fire salvage logging.

Click here for map of Hancocks' Ballarat region plantations.

This plantation was very likely to be aerially sprayed with 2,4,5-T between 1968 and 1977. The Dioxin TCDD may still exist in soil in this plantation. For more historical data on 2,4,5-T click here. For more information concerning the continuing health crisis concerning 2,4,5-T please forward to here.

The Forests Commission, Dow Chemicals and the Commonwealth Defence Standards Laboratory were involved with experimenting with application of Tordon (Picloram) herbicide in the early 1970's with rates between 4 pounds active ingredient per acre & 10 pounds active ingredient per hectare. Total Runoff per acre figures for the 12 month period 18/10/71 to 18/10/72: 5,928 gallons for catchment A and 20,874 gallons for catchment B. Highest rates observed in dams in the plantation were 47.67 parts per billion on 28/10/74.

Herbicides Used by Hancock in Pine Plantations - Ballarat Region Victoria

Herbicide Label Rate max as kg/ha Used to control Notes Application
Clopyralid 2.55 Woody Weeds Highly Toxic/Potential Ground water Contaminant air or ground
Glufosinate Ammonium 1 Woody Weeds    
Glyphosate 3.6 Herbaceous and woody weeds, noxious weeds    
Hexazinone 4 Woody Weeds Ground Water Contaminant Aerial, ground, spot
Metsulfuron-Methyl 0.06 Woody Weeds, Noxious Weeds Potential Ground Water Contaminant Aerial, ground or spot
Triclopyr 3 Woody and Noxious Weeds   Ground, spot, basal bark

Plantation within AKD Softwoods area of supply.

Plantation within SPE Exports (Geelong) area of supply.

Responsible Authority: Golden Plains Shire Council

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment. Salvage logging has recently taken place.

Plantation Catchment: Several creeks flow east into Woady Yaloak Creek/Woady Yaloak River/Lake Martin. Several creeks flow down into dam above Scarsdale/Woady Yaloak Creek/Woady Yaloak River/Lake Martin. A couple of creeks flow north through Snake Valley town/Baillie Creek/Mt Emu Creek/Hopkins River.

October 2006: Drainage line in Mount Emu Creek catchment, upstream of Snake Valley after fire salvage.

Ex-Gold Mining area: Gold workings most likely occurred within the plantation boundary near Scarsdale.

Catchment Managment Authority: Corangamite Catchment Management Authority/Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment.

Soils: Sourced from Geological Maps of Victoria

Csp: Cambrian - St.Arnuad Group - Pyrenees Formation: Deep marine deposits: sandstone, mudstone and black shale; dominantly sand-rich turbidite facies; moderately to well sorted, variably rounded quartz with minor feldspar and lithic grains in quartz silt or clay matrix; medium to very thick bedded; sparsely fossiliferous with phyllocarids and grapholites; weathered to partly kaolinised.

Csb: Cambrian - St.Arnuad Group - Beaufort Formation: Deep marine deposits; sandstone, mudstone and black shale; sand-poor turbidite facies tectonically modified to phyllite, quartz - mica or graphitic schist; weathered to partly kaolinised.

Qpc: Dissected colluvial deposits in active outwash fan; scree apron and alluvial-colluvial swamp deposits; polymictic gravel, sand, silt and clay; variably sorted and rounded, stratified, laminated or massive.

Qrc: Quaternary/Recent: Colluvial deposits, active outwash fans, scree aprons and colluvium, ubiquitous around hill bases and in gullies, polymictic gravel, sand, silt, clay: poorly sorted, variably rounded, stratified, laminated or massive.

October 2006: Woady Yallock catchment. Deep ripping of soil ensures most moisture is retained on site. Native forests are not treated this way, yet this plantation has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Hancock Watch Site visit Feb 01: Entered this massive plantation from the west from Linton. Native forest to the south had been infested with pine wildings. Drove until Ridge Road. Took some photos of clearfells. Area seemed to be mostly pine, with no filter strips present. Came across large strip of native vegetation bordering north western boundary.

Hancock Watch Site Visit October 02: Further logging had taken place in plantation. Code of Forest Practices had generally been adhered to, but there are still big questions to ask about the long term sustainability of massive plantation monocultures on the Woady Yaloak catchment. For instance if plantations are established to lower water tables in salt prone areas, what happens to water tables if the plantations are logged? If plantations are to be used as carbon sinks what happens to the carbon if the plantation is logged on 30 year rotations? In terms of carbon credits, wouldn't it be far better to establish indigenous species - along restoration forestry principles - and allow these restored forests to grow indefinately, with some selective logging, rather than stripping whole hillsides every 30 years!

For recent shot of Scarsdale plantations (LEGL93-29) go to following link and scroll down page until photo 16:

http://www.hancock.forests.org.au/docs/oct02.htm

Woady Yaloak River, Cressy: Flows through forest and grazing land, mud, sand and gravel bottom. Wide fluctuation in flow. In many places the river is choked with acquatic vegetation. Also very turbid from erosion in the catchment. Some trout spawning occurs on the gravel beds in the headwaters. Other species are redfin to 750g, abundant river blackfish some to 400g, tench and goldfish.

Mount Emu Creek: Flows through forest and grazing land, (basalt country) with a rocky bottom in many sections and deep pools. Scattered red gums along banks. Considerable erosion in the upper catchment.

Source: A Guide to the Inland Angling Waters of Victoria by BR Tunbridge, PL Rogan, CA Barnham. Department Conservation and Environment. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown St, Heidelberg, 3084. (4th ed - 1991)

Victree Hopkins River Woady Yaloak Creek Woady Yaloak River Lake Martin Yarra Pygmy Perch Redfin Blackfish Medium Ballarat (Central West)