Region: Ovens

Legal Number: LEGL/93-142/1

Plantation: Myrtleford

Conservation Priority: High

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

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

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

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.

Ex Gold Mine Area: Gold workings occurred along Myrtle Creek in the 19th Century.

Responsible Authority: Indigo Shire Council

Plantation Catchment:. Tributory and unnamed creek into Barwidgee Creek. 1 trib and portion of Myrtle Creek. 16 creeks in catchment of unnamed creek flowing into Barwidgee Creek/Ovens River.

Catchment Managment Authority: North East Catchment Management Authority.

Hancock Watch Site Visit May 2001: Drove into main bulk of plantation from east - Basin Creek Track. (Plantation consists of three separate plantations - two smaller plantations lie east of the main bulk). Quite steep roads. Made it onto ‘main’ logging road inside plantation. Drove north. Quite large buffer zones on Basin Creek were evident. New roading evident on northern slope of Basin Creek. Drove out of plantation onto Gap road. Plantation looks almost ready to log. Most probably in the next few months. Also noted that large road works have occurred on Gap Road with large amounts of potential sediment possibly going to wash away.

Barwidgee Creek, Myrtleford: Flows from forested country, through grazing land and tobacco crops to join the Ovens River between Myrtleford and Gapstead. A shallow stream with a fine gravel and sand bed. Carries mostly brown trout to 700g, some rainbow trout to 350g, river blackfish and some small redfin.

Myrtle Creek, Harcourt - Also called Back Creek. A very small creek flowing through grazing land, gravel bed. Access through private property. Carries brown trout to 1.3kg, small redfin, tench, goldfish and possibly a few rainbow trout.

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.

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)

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