Region: Ovens Legal Number: LEGL/93-128/1 Plantation: Two Mile Creek Conservation Priority: Medium/High

93-128: March 01: Recent clearfelling in the Two Mile Creek catchment. These plantations amount to approximately 2800 hectares and surround the township of Bright from the south and west.

Plantation within Australian Newsprint Mill (ANM) Ltd area of supply.

Plantation within Carter Holt Harvey (now owned by International Paper) area of supply.

Plantation within Dominance Industries (Alpine MDF Industries) area of supply.

Plantation within D & R Henderson/Monsbent area of supply.

North East Victoria Plantation Map here

Plantation in very close proximity to Bright. Source: Melbourne University School of Resource Management Land & Food Resources.

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.

Herbicides Used by Hancock in Pine Plantations - North East Region Victoria

Proclaimed Water Catchment Area: This plantation area is located in the Ovens River (Wangaratta) Water Supply Catchment.

MURRAY RIVER SUPPLIES WATER TO YARRAWONGA, COBRAM, BARMAH, ECHUCA , KERANG, PIANGIL, SWAN HILL, ROBINVALE, MILDURA

THREATENED FISH NOTES - OVENS RIVER: Most important river in Victoria in regard to the survival of the Murray Cod. Murray Cod spawn almost as far up as Myrtleford and the Ovens supplies recruitment for the Murray River as well. The Ovens has no dams and is a river of extreme national significance. Trout Cod are now being found in the Ovens and may set up a self sustaining spawning population. Trout Cod have been successfully stocked into Ovens and upper Ovens, downstream of Myrtleford and going up the King River - past Moyhu. All the tribs of the Ovens are important for native fish including King, Buffalo and Buckland Rivers.

Responsible Authority: Alpine Shire Council

Plantation Catchment: Headwaters and tributaries of Deep Creek/Ovens River. Headwaters and tributaries Stackey Gully/Ovens River. Headwaters and many Tributaries of Two Mile Creek/Buckland River/Ovens River.

Catchment Managment Authority: North East Catchment Management Authority

LEGL93-128 - looking southwest from Apex Lookout and the township of Bright in the foreground. This photo shows a portion of this plantation which is 2800 hectares in size. Gully running south of plantation likely to be Stackey Gully.

Hancock Watch site visit Mar 01: Massive plantation. Drove into north west section of plantation. Much of the most sustainably questionable logging that took place was occurring on steep slopes - probably too steep to be sustainable. As is the case with plantations in a similiar bind is that steep slopes can also create erosion problems for roads and culverts. Saw a couple of new culverts being built into the roadsides and a couple of culvert blowouts. Plantations situated on flatter land were generally not so much of a problem. Because of the immense size of this plantation and the poor quality maps exact locations were difficult to determine. On southern boundary saw some evidence of pine infestation into surrounding bushland. Blackberry infestation evident along some creeklines, erosion problems from new roads also apparent. Some roading appeared to be on very steep slopes causing unwarranted erosion potential. 03: When we revisited the plantation almost two years later it was evident that very little further logging had taken place in this plantation.

“Special Investigation: North-Eastern Victoria - Ovens Softwood Plantation Zone. Land Conservation Council 1981.

p11 Central Region To the north and east of the Eastern Boundary Fault lies an extensive area of mountainous terrain composed of Ordovician sandstones and mudstones that are less resistant to erosion than the rocks of the south-western region. The drainage pattern is dendritic and the streams are seperated by sharp ridges and spurs. The mountains to the south of Mount Buffalo are typical of this region, which extends east to Mount Beauty and north to Myrtleford. In the north-west around Moyhu and Bobinalwarral the ridges of Ordovician sediments become buried beneath the alluvial deposits of the riverine plain. Within the region, exposures of granitic rocks have intruded into the surrounding Ordovician sediments. Intense heat associated with the intrusions has altered (or metamorphosed) the adjacent sedimentary rocks.

The granite outcrops at Mount Buffalo and Mount Emu are extremely resistant, while the surrounding sedimentary rocks which are less resistant have been deeply dissected. In contrast, the granite in the Pinnacles area to the east of Myrtleford is more susceptible to weathering and erosion and as a consequence the terrain in this area is more subdued. A ridge of metamorphic rocks borders Happy Valley to the east of Myrtleford.

Friable reddish and brownish gradational soils occur on the Ordovician sediments of this region, while the granitic rocks of Buffalo Plateau and Mount Emu exhibit a variety of soil types. Stony loams are characteristic of rocky outcrops while poorly drained sites contain organic loams and peats. Sandy loams and friable gradational soils are found on the lower slopes of these intrusions. The less resistant granitic rocks at the Pinnacles and Abbeyard carry a variety of gradational soils on the upper slopes and a range of duplex soils at lower elevations. The gradational soils are suitable for softwoods, but the poorly drained duplex soils are not.

Ovens River: The rivers all flow north, from heavily forested mountain country through excessive river flats to the Murray River. Murray cod populations close to the Murray River. Small river blackfish are common in many rivers, Macquarie Perch are still occasionally caught, and catches of golden perch are also being reported. Brown trout widely distributed through system with rainbow trout most abundant in upper reaches. Upstream from Myrtleford - Brown Trout to 1.3kg, some rainbow trout, small redfin and river blackfish.

Ovens River: Upstream from Myrtleford - Brown Trout to 1.3kg, some rainbow trout, small redfin and river blackfish.

Buckland River, Porepunkah: Flows through forested country, gravel and rock bed. Lower reaches are badly silted and erosion, siltation, gravel and water extraction have reduced the available fish habitat. Joins the Ovens River near Porepunkah. Catchment has been extensively mined for gold. Area around Buckland Junction and downstream has been greatly modified by widespread mining and gold dredging. Contains mostly brown trout in the headwaters, average 230g, better fish between 450g and 750g in the lower reaches, average 350g with occasional fish to 2kg, some small rainbow trout to 300g, river blackfish to 160g, and small redfin in the lower reaches. Also abundant sping freshwater crayfish. Popular trout fishing.
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)

93-128 March 01: Milder slopes with Mount Buffalo in background. Looking west.

93-128 March 01: Recent pine establishment. Note erosion potential. Shot taken from Snake Ridge Road.

93-128 March 01: Recent culverting and drainage works. Will this minimise erosion? Shot taken from Snake Ridge Road. Some erosion of this road was observed in a follow up visit in April 03.

93-128 March 01: View looking south into recent plantation cut. Probably Victoria's highest elevation plantations at about 800 metres. Eagle Peak - the highest point in the photo is 1017m. Also note the pine wildlings in the native vegetation running up the gully to Eagle Peak.

93-128 March 01: More clearfell logging in the Two Mile Creek catchment.

93-128 March 01: No gully protection or buffers.

93-128 March 01: Blackberry infestation of gully that eventually drains into Two Mile Creek which inturn drains into the Buckland River..

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