Hancock Watch - February 2004 Updates

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Feb 04: Recent logging by Hancock in the Stewarts Creek experimental area in the Wombat Forest region of Central Victoria, has upset locals. Poor logging practices have been observed in this plantation that is located in the water supply catchment for the Central Victorian town of Daylesford. The photo above shows a very poor quality creek crossing bulldozed through the main drainage line of the plantation. These photos sent courtesy of Wombat Forest Society. For more information and photos on Stewarts Creek plantation see here.

A. Feb 04: Corner of Grand Ridge Road and Livingstones Rd - Strzelecki Ranges. Coupe Lens Track. In 2001 Hancock Victorian Plantations generously retained reserves along the Grand Ridge Road in buffers inexcess of what was legally required. This was a very positive initiative which drew praise from the local community who were encouraged by this example of good will. It is disturbing to note that current management has eliminated a large portion of this buffer reserve at this location. The buffer was 50 metres. Now it has been reduced to 10 metres due to a change in management staff. This is definately a case of one step forwards, two steps back. This example also highlights problems with coupe audits. A coupe may be audited resulting in good results for the company. The company may then come back a year or two after the audit has been completed and log buffers etc without the auditors ever knowing.

B. Feb 04. Middle Creek Road - Strzelecki Ranges. This sign alerting people to the dangers of spraying roadsides was put up after the spraying was conducted. This offers nearby residents no opportunity to prepare for the spraying. This can create havoc for people with chemical sensitivities. Were residents alterted to what was being sprayed and how much herbicide was sprayed?

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. At this site, several hectares of the rare species - Sticky Wattle (Acacia howittii), were destroyed by cable logging of a radiata pine plantation. Sticky Wattle is restricted to moist forests of the Strzeleckis and Upper Macalister River area in Victoria. The species is listed as rare by A.C. Beauglehole (The Distribution and Conservation of Vascular Plants in South Gippsland, Victoria (1984). Not a good precedent. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Badly eroding logging track. No remediation has taken place at this site. Large amounts of topsoil have been displaced at this site which is west of Fairview Track. The Albert River contains Blackfish and the threatened Australian Grayling. Sediment loads entering local waterways will play havoc with these species. Click here for more information about the impacts of sediment on native fish. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Badly eroding logging track west of Fairview Track- note collapsing road batters. No remediation has taken place at this site. Large amounts of topsoil have been displaced. This is an unsustainable outcome. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Badly eroding logging track east of Fairview Track. This erosion gully has opened up in the past two months. This practice breaches the intent of the Code of Forest Practices, which is very limited because the Code does not prescribe local conditions for logging operations. This weakness of the Code does not take into account the erosion potential of the highly erodable Creataceous Sediments of the Strzeleckis. It uses a statewide standarisation approach which does not take into account localised conditions. Friends of Gippsland Bush have been highlighting this major shortfall of the Code since 1996. Nothing has changed. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Tunnel erosion forming on logging track east of Fairview Track. This hole has trebled in size in 3 months. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Badly eroding logging track east of Fairview Track. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Badly eroding logging track east of Fairview Track. Note tree stumps which have simply been bulldozed out of the way. Note high potential for erosion to occur. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

C. Feb 04: Albert River Tributary - Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Badly eroding log landing which lies about 500 metres south and uphill of the Albert River. The Albert River contains Blackfish and the threatened Australian Grayling. Sediment loads entering local waterways will play havoc with these species. Click here for more information about the impacts of sediment on native fish. For more information about this plantation click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future.

D. Feb 04: Central Northern Strzeleckis - Merrimans Creek Catchment at log landing just off Kjergaard Road. Mixing of soil profile had occurred at this log landing near the corner of Thexton Road. Bulldozer ruts over one metre deep in places. This is not a good precedent in domestic water supply catchments. It also appears that this coupe has been assessed by FSC audit teams. This botched up log landing occurred after the audit had taken place, meaning that the FSC auditors are unaware of recent works at this log coupe. This reveals a flaw in the FSC process. For more information about this plantation click here. For more information about Merrimans Creek Water Supply Catchment click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.

D. Feb 04: Central Northern Strzeleckis - Merrimans Creek Catchment - probably Furphy Road east of Merrimans Creek Tributary in Seaspray Domestic Water Supply Catchment. This track appears to have recently been reworked. Logging debris from the cable logging operation (to the left of the track) has simply been bulldozed down the embankment to the creek. Large amounts of sediment and logging debris can be generated by this practice. For more information about this plantation click here. For more information about Merrimans Creek Water Supply Catchment click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.

D. Feb 04: Central Northern Strzeleckis - Merrimans Creek Catchment - probably Furphy Road west of Merrimans Creek Tributary in Seaspray Domestic Water Supply Catchment. This photo reveals a drainage line with inappropriate erosion controls and culverting. Note also the logging debris which has been bulldozed off the logging road and is ready to collapse into the creek which lies just to the right of this photo down a steep slope. Logging debris in creeks can block creek flow causing blowouts and sedimentation of the natural drainage line. For more information about this plantation click here. For more information about Merrimans Creek Water Supply Catchment click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.

D. Feb 04: Central Northern Strzeleckis - Merrimans Creek Catchment - Creek ford on Furphy Road. This is a very poor example of a creek ford and probably breaches the Code of Forest Practice. Note the high potential for sediment to wash into waterway, especially during periods of high rainfall and large vehicle usage of the road. Creek crossing are the largest contributors of stream sediment in logging coupes. For more information about this plantation click here. For more information about Merrimans Creek Water Supply Catchment click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.

E. Feb 04: Central Northern Strzeleckis - Traralgon Creek Catchment. Note steepness of terrain and lack of buffers on obvious drainage line. This practice is legal in plantations. Hancock is reluctant to plant out buffers on drainage lines such as these stating that replanting will eat up into corporate profit$.

 

F. Feb 04: Southern Strzelecki Ranges. Cool temperate rainforest on Turtons Creek. This photo was taken outside of Hancock lands, however it is very likely that Cool Temperate Rainforest can be found along Livingstone Creek which flows along the edge of Hancock land in this plantation. For more information about this plantation click here.

G. Feb 04: Eastern Strzelecki Ranges. Carrajung Lower Road showing high quality native vegetation. To the left of the road is ex state owned plantation 93-101. To the right is land that was owned by Australian Paper Plantations and was sold to Hancock in August 2001. The APP land is probably Allotment 14 Parish of Carrajung.

G. Feb 04: Photo taken from Carrajung Lower Road looking north into native vegetation of ex Australian Paper Plantations - Allotments 14 & 15 Parish of Carrajung. This is the Bruthen Creek catchment.

D. Feb 04: Central Northern Strzeleckis - Merrimans Creek Catchment. Note erosion gully forming at the head of drainage line in centre left of photo. This point has heavily eroded in the past few months since cable logging has taken place. For more information about this plantation click here. For more information about Merrimans Creek Water Supply Catchment click here. Plantation likely to be aerially bombarded with the herbicide Hexazinone in the near future. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.