Region: Portland Legal Number: LEGL/93-11 Plantation: Kentbruck Conservation Priority: Medium

93-11a Jan 01: Heading north along Kentbruck Road. 93-11 on the left, 93-12 on the right. 93-11 is a plantation 3km x 4km on what was once damp sands herb rich woodland. 93-12 measures 1km wide, 5 km long.

Plantation within S.E.A.S Sapfor (Auspine) area of supply.
Plantation within AKD Softwoods area of supply.

Plantation located in Glenelg Water Supply Protection Area

Plantation maps of region here

Kentbruck plantations circa 2001 looking north east, located in very close proximity to Lower Glenelg National Park.

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 South Western Victoria

THREATENED FISH NOTES - GLENELG RIVER: Yarra Pygmy Perch and Ewens Pygmy Perch found in the Glenelg system. Both species listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act in Victoria and threatened.

Responsible Authority: Glenelg Shire Council

Plantation Catchment: Flat country adjoins Lower Glenelg National Park.

Catchment Managment Authority: Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment Management Authority

Hancock Watch Site visit Jan 01: Much the same as LEGL 10. Area full of recent clearcuts. Only saw two areas of native vegetation one small hilltop at Gentle Annie and small area bordering CSR (Weyerhauser) plantation area on the eastern rim of the plantation. Site visit Feb 01: Drove through middle of plantation - same as 21/1/01. Took a left turn at the road that separates 93-11 from 93-10. Took some photos. Turned onto the Nelson Winnap Road that borders Lower Glenelg National Park. Took photos. Drove onto Portland Nelson Road. Quite a significant vegetation strip along highway from Wade Junction to start of 93-11. The coastal strip still apparent although greatly diminished in 93-11. Whole area needs massive revegetation funding.

93-11b Jan 01: Recently cleared plantation. All up the 3 Hancock Kentbruck plantations stretch over 14 km of traditional Gunditjmara country, north of Nelson-Portland Road. Weyerhauser control another 26km of pine plantations to the south of the Nelson-Portland Road.

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"Groundwater: "In south-western Victoria the Otway Basin stretches from the South Australian border almost to the west of Geelong. It contains older sediments of Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary age, up to 2000 m in thickness. These include four sand aquifers and two limestone aquifers. The sand aquifers of the Wangerrip Group are confined over most of the Basin and their recharge zones are located on the margins of the Otway Range in the east and the Merino Tablelands in the West. The groundwater moves towards the coast, increasing in salinity along its floorpath . . ." p268 State of the Environment Report 1988 Victoria's Inland Waters. Office of the Commissioner for the Environment.

"Shallow aquifers in the Glenelg River Basin occur in four main geologic units . . . The third unit is a Newer Volcanic aquifer which lies along much of the Basin's southern boundary, particularly in the east. This fractured rock aquifer is composed of basalt, scoria and tuff. The fourth unit is composed of dune sand and beach deposits extending from the south-west corner of the Basin up to the western boundary and along the northern boundary. It is known as the Bridgewater formation.

A deep aquifer system exists in the south-west of the Basin and extends to the top of the western boundary and half-way across the southern boundary. This sand aquifer, which is significant as a water source, occurs within the Wangerrip Group.

Generally, groundwater quality in the Basin decreases towards the north where it is saline. A large reserve of fresh water is held in the north-east corner of the catchment and in the south-west the water is of marginal quality . . ." p295 Water Victoria A Resource Handbook - Department of Water Resources Victoria 1989.