Strzeleckis LEGL/93-89/1 Albert

Region: Strzeleckis

Legal Number:

LEGL/93-89/1

Plantation: Albert

Conservation Priority:

High

Responsible Authority:

Wellington Shire Council

Plantation Catchment:
a) Many tribs HW Little Albert River
b) Many tribs HW Albert River
Many HW tribs Albert River

Also see: December 2003 Updates .

Catchment Managment Authority: West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.

Located in Yarram Water Supply Protection Area - Groundwater

Herbicide Regime (Incomplete);

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 .

Spring 2001: 608 kg of Velmac G and 798 kg of Velmac CR used on 74 ha to kill regenerating native forest.

93-89a: July 2001. Failed ash plantation on Palmer Track. Original site location had originally not taken into account proper location when planting ash species. Ash grow better on the SE slopes. This planting didn't take into account mixed forest are the appropriate forests for much of this site - messmate, mountain grey gum, manna gum, blue gum. Hence the growth of the 'plantation' is somewhat limited. Slope/direction aspect not necessarily taken into account when planting first occurred.

On 25 October 1995, Wellington Shire permitted Hancock to clear 80 ha of wattle regrowth for plantation establishment. This clearing occurred in allotment PT94B - Parish Binginwarri off Ward Road on the eastern side of the Albert River. Permit Number: WP9500347.

DSE has also retained rights to harvest approximately 30-40ha of hardwood just north of Hiawatha.(see image below-area marked in purple).

93-89: July 2001. Gully erosion of Tributary of the Albert River. Note the lack of buffer zone to protect this gully from the impacts of logging and sedimentation.

THREATENED FISH NOTES -

STRZELECKI STREAMS:

Habitat forSpotted Galaxias , Mountain Galaxias , Broadfinned Galaxias, Tupong , Blackfish and the FFG listed Australian Grayling..

www.hancock.forests.org.au/docs/albert.htm#content_top

Area within PaperlinX area of supply.

Herbicides Used by Grand Ridge Plantations - Strzelecki Ranges and Gippsland Victoria

Herbicide	Label Rate max as kg/ha	Used to control	Euc/Rad	Notes	Application
Clopyralid	2.55	Woody Weeds	Radiata and Eucalypts	Highly Toxic/Potential Ground water Contaminant	aerial or ground
Glufosinate Ammonium	1	Woody Weeds	Radiata		aerial or ground
Glyphosate	3.6	Herbaceous and woody weeds, noxious weeds	Radiata, Eucalpts and Custodial
Haloxyfop-methyl	0.13	Annual and Pernneial Grasses	Eucalypts	Carcinogen	aerial or ground
Hexazinone	4	Woody Weeds	Radiata	Ground Water Contaminant	Aerial, ground, spot
Metsulfuron-Methyl	0.06	Woody Weeds, Noxious Weeds	Radiata, Eucalyptus and Custodial	Potential Ground Water Contaminant	Aerial, ground or spot
Sulfometuron Methyl	0.6	Annual and Perennial Grasses and broadleaf weeds	Eucalyptus	Potential Ground Water Contaminant	Aerial or Ground

Albert River Catchment (between yellow lines) showing extent of plantations within catchment (numbers eg 76 refer to the year of plantation establishment). Most (approximately 600ha) appear to have occurred before September 1976. Post September 1976 a concoction of Amitrole (Weedagol T.L. Plus) and (Gesaprim 500) Atrazine may have been sprayed. In 2002 scientists in the United States found that Atrazine at levels as low of 0.1part per billion altered hormones in frogs. Since then Atrazine has been found to have the same effect across a range of animals. Hundreds of hectares would probably have been sprayed with the Atrazine (4 l/ha/Amitrole 7l/ha) mixture.

Prior to September 1976, it is highly likely that aerial application of 2,4,5-T @ 1.1 litres a hectare occurred.

Strzelecki Ranges Maps Here

Area within Planthard Hardwoods (Drouin West Sawmills) area of supply.

Area within Brown and Dureau Softwoods (Morwell) area of supply.

Hancock Site visit:

LEGL/93-89: Albert Block. Site visit November 2001. High conservation importance.

Access into this plantation mass was made via Madalya Road from the south east. The plantation is quite large stretching some 8km north to south and 6km east to west. There is quite a large portion of farmland/private land within this plantation boundary as well. About one km along Madalya Road a large clearfell was observed to the left. We turned off at Hiawatha-Madalya Road and witnessed some very steep cable logging of pine established in 1976. It appeared that loggers had confined there activities to the plantation boundary however it could be observed that numerous trees ferns had been damaged along one of the ridges. Further down Hiawatha-Madalya Road we came to the intersection of Shields and Upper Tudor Road. Extremely lax logging had taken place at this intersection, with bulldozer trails observed running through road drains. In fact it appeared that a tributary of the Albert River was blocked and that the tributary had been diverted along the logging road with some obviously seeping under the logging road. It was also evident that much top soil was eroding down a steep tributary of the Albert River with large rocks observed in the tributary itself. Words really can't do justice to the poor logging standards seen at this site. We travelled down from this area to Hiawatha seeing some impressive buffer zones along a main tributary of the Albert River.

LEGL 93-89a: December 2001: Waterfall on Albert River.

LEGL 93-89b: December 2001: Albert River Cool Temperate Rainforest.

LEGL 93-89c: December 2001: Inside Albert River Cool Temperate Rainforest.

Site Visit December 01: Drove along Yarram Madalya Road. Entered northern section of plantation mass at Charcoal track. Recent logging had occurred in this area. One gully was observed having a track bulldozed through its headwaters, however the logging coupe at this location was generally of a high quality, as an area of messmate forest and mixed forest appeared to have been spared from logging. Much of this vegetation leads into buffer zones along the Albert River. The track appears to stop at a tributary of the Albert River where a slender tree fern was observed. Koalas were heard near this location and if the area is spared from logging by Hancock then a good result will eventuate. Entered plantation area near the junction of Yarram-Madalya Road and the Grand Ridge Road. At the junction of the most northerly tributary of the Albert River a myrtle beech tree was observed. This is located approximately 15 metres outside of the Hancock's LEGL boundary map.

LEGL 93-89d: September 2001: Midland Highway landslip in Morwell River East Branch catchment. This is located just outside Hancock holdings but landslides such as this are often a result of heavy log truck traffic.

However Cool Temperate Rainforest dominates much of the Albert River for some distance. A track running alongside the eastern edge of the Albert River was followed over a couple of tributaries which also were dominated by Myrtle Beech. Logging by Hancock in 1999 of plantations established in the late 1960's have jeopardised the long term survival of much of the rainforest of the Albert River. Some older ash trees were observed on the western side of the Albert River, but it appears that much of this older forest has been terminated. About 2km from the turnoff to Yarram Madalya Road along the Grand Ridge Road heading west a large landslip has been created along one of the main tributary headwaters of the Albert River less than 30 metres from the Grand Ridge Road.

LEGL 93-89f: November 2001: Cable logging of pine plantation on steep slopes in Albert River catchment.

LEGL 93-89j: November 2001: Massive roading erosion on tributary of Albert River. Much of this soil was simply bulldozed down embankment by contractors. This soil erosion is being worsened by a blockage of culverts leading to water erosion of entire roadside. Corner Upper Tudor and Shield Roads

LEGL 93-89e: November 2001: Massive roading erosion on tributary of Albert River. Much of this soil was simply bulldozed down embankment by contractors. This soil erosion is being worsened by a blockage of culverts leading to water erosion of entire roadside. Corner Upper Tudor and Shield Roads.

For other logging photographs of this LEGL please go to the following links:

http://www.hancock.forests.org.au/docs/logging_practices_8-02.htm

http://www.hancock.forests.org.au/docs/may02b.html#content_top

http://www.hancock.forests.org.au/docs/logging_practices_update-0101-02.htm

"Albert River Rainforest:

Albert River rainforest is bounded by the Grand Ridge Road to the north, the Yarram/Madalya Road to the east and Ward Road to the south.

There is very little rainforest left on the Albert River. The best section of rainforest is on the section flowing south from the Grand Ridge Road parallel with the Yarram Madalya Road. Only scattered myrtle beech and tiny sections of rainforest remain on that section flowing south/east from Albert River Road. Logging operations were carried out in sections between the rainforest and the Yarram Madalya Road in late 1998 and early 1999. No buffer was left between the rainforest and the logging track and debris was pushed into the rainforest gully. Further logging operations are planned for this area in the near future. It is recommended that when these operations are conducted, a suitable buffer is left between clearing and tracks and the rainforest. Myrtle wilt is already apparent within this rainforest.

There are also sections of messmate forest and other native vegetation between the rainforest and the Yarram Madalya Road that need to be conserved."
Rainforest in the Strzeleckis by Elaina Fraser.

LEGL 93-89g: November 2001: Cable logging of pine plantation on steep slopes in Albert River catchment. Many tree ferns destroyed.

LEGL 93-89h: September 2001: Midland Highway landslip in Morwell River East Branch catchment. This is located just outside Hancock holdings but landslides such as this are often a result of heavy log truck traffic.

LEGL 93-89I: November 2001: Remnant vegetation on tributary of Albert River.

Little Albert River, Staceys Bridge: A fast flowing stream running through partly cleared hills, rock bottom. Contains brown trout to 350g, average size very small, abundant small river blackfish, short finned eel, tupong and grayling.

Albert River - Above Staceys Bridge: A fast flowing stream running through partly cleared hills, rock bottom. Contains brown trout to 350g, abundant, mainly small river blackfish, tupong and grayling. Albert River - Below Staceys Bridge: Flows through open country, mud and sand bottom. Highly modified by agriculture, water is often turbid with wide variations in flow and water level. Where the habitat is suitable, trout will be found but, like the Agnes River, these areas are relatively inaccessible. Eels abundant and a few brown trout from 200 to 600g, occasional small river blackfish. Estuarine section often has estuary perch.

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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