Land System: Penny Royal Rainfall: 700-1050mm Landscape: Hillslopes with gentle crests. Native Vegetation: Open Forest - E.obliqua, E.radiata, E.ovata, E.viminalis. Soils: Mottled yellow and red duplex soils; yellow brown duplex. Nutrient Decline: Sheet, gully and landslip erosion.
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.
Feb 09: Dodgy roading with very poor drainage on East Wormbete Road. Herbicides Used by Hancock in Pine Plantations - Ballarat Region Victoria
Incomplete Spray Regime: December 1988 - 15 ha sprayed with 150 litres of Velpar on areas that were planted in 1984.
Sep 11: Trashed tributary of Wormbete Creek West Branch off Paddy Swamp Road. Will this logged plantation be aerially sprayed with Hexazinone and will downstream users be informed?
Sep 11: About 100ha of this plantation has been recently clearfelled THREATENED FISH NOTES - BARWON RIVER: Probably Blackfish
in mid to upper reaches. The lower reaches have 1 of 2 of the main spawning
areas for Australian
Grayling west of Melbourne. Quote of the year 2002: "Colac Otway Shire 6/12/02. Freedom of Information Request. In response to your request for information relating to the use of herbicides by plantation companies, I advise that there are no records within Council, as plantation companies are not yet required to advise either Council or the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of their intention to conduct herbicide applications. Yours sincerely - Freedom of Information Officer - Colac Otway Shire". Plantation Catchment: 3 separate plantation areas. A study of the Land in the catchments of the Otway Range and Adjacent Plains - Soil Conservation Authority 1981. p143 "Both establishment and harvesting of hardwood and softwood forests cause serious changes to the natural hydrological balance. Pine establishment on disused agricultural land and previously forested land has led to widespread deterioration. The steep north and west facing slopes of Lorne, Forrest, Moggs Creek, Aire, Mt Mackenzie, Bunker Hill and Yahoo Creek land systems are the most severely affected. Sheet erosion losses can be minimised by working in coupes along the contour, and by maintaining adequate vegetative cover with litter layers over the soil surface. The incidence of landslips increases following harvesting, when the binding effect of tree roots is removed and the soil is subject to saturation for longer periods. The study area share the current trend to reduce the total area of productive forest land and manage this smaller area for higher yields. As with agriculture, nutrients removed in forest produce need to be replaced through the use of fertilisers. The fertiliser requirements of soils designated for long-term hardwood and softwood production require investigation. p142 Steep slopes in and around drainage lines are more stable under
hardwood than softwood forestry, because of longer growth period and
more selective logging practices."
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