Hancock Watch March 2004 Updates

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Also click here: Bluegum plantation Insecticides (update)

March 04: Jacobs Creek Catchment (Tyers River Water Supply Catchment). Under the Victorian Plantations Corporation Act 1993 - Schedule 3 there are a list of 20 Co-Operative Land Management Agreements that come under the Act. These Agreements include; Latrobe Region Water Authority (now renamed Gippsland Water), Mallacoota Water Board and Orbost Water Board (now renamed East Gippsland Water). Jacobs Creek flows into Moondarra Reservoir which in turn supplies drinking water to over 60,000 residents throughout Gippsland. Gippsland Water is the responsible authority for the land, but Hancock (Grand Ridge) is responsible for the logging of these plantations. What impact will logging of plantations have on sedimentation and water quality?

March 04: Moondarra Reservoir (marked in blue) in the Tyers River Proclaimed Water Supply Catchment. Approximate location of most of Gippsland Water plantations within the catchment (marked in green). It is surprising that it is an offence to even walk within the Moondarra catchment, yet it is entirely legal to establish vast pine plantations within the catchment and to log them using heavy machinery. It is also legal to apply herbicides and fertilisers onto these plantations all within the catchment of the main source of drinking water in Gippsland. These plantations are likely to be a major source of sediment into Moondarra Reservoir - especially during logging operations. These plantations are also likely to consume vast quantities of water per year - probably in the range of 7 million litres of water per hectare per year. These plantations will most likely feed into the Maryvale pulp mill, owned by PaperlinX. For more information about this water supply click here

March 04: Inside Moondarra Reservoir Catchment. Note the close proximity of the pine plantations to the reservoir. Also note the low level of the reservoir due to drought. What is the impact of logging and spraying of herbicides so close to the main reservoir?

About 17 km2 of land north and west of Moondarra is managed by Gippsland Water. According to the EPA Report; 'Findings and Recommendations - Environmental Audit Tyers River Catchment - July 2001': "p48 Sediment run off from poorly maintained unselaed roads, and from any future harvesting of pine plantations constitute the main risks to water quality from land directly around the Moondarra Reservoir. Approximately 20% of Gippsland Water's land around the reservoir has been used to establish pine plantations. The buffer distances between parts of the plantations and waterways (including the reservoir) are not sufficient for the protection of water quality. In some cases the plantations abut the banks of the reservoir. Future harvesting of areas of such plantations is considered to present an unacceptable risk to water quality. The Tyers River Water Supply Catchment Notice of Determination of Land Use, 1975, states that land within 200 metres of the Moondarra Reservoir foreshore is to be left in an undisturbed state for the protection of watercourses, streams and reservoirs. It is noted that the plantations were originally established to reforest areas of former agricultural land around the reservoir, however ongoing harvesting of these plantations is contrary to the Determination.

Gippsland Water have documented their intention to perform works to remove immature pine trees close to waterways and ultimately to establish a buffer of native vegetation between the reservoir and the pine plantations. The native vegetation will be excluded from harvesting in the future. This work was planned to commence in Spring 2000... Poorly maintained unsealed roads within Gippsland Water's land surrounding the reservoir are considered to present a high risk of impact on water quality due to their condition and their proximity to waterways including the reservoir..."

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Traralgon Creek Catchment) - Most likely Parish of Callignee Allotment 20 of C which has been leased from the Crown since 1961. This photo shows a major tributary of Traralgon Creek - the tributary being a permanent water course (probably a Class 2 Stream) after logging of radiata pine plantations by Hancock (The culvert just down where this photo was taken was very large meaning that high water velocities occur at this site during rainfall). Note the gully depth, erosion problems and the logging debris cut (or fallen) into the water course. Under the Code of Forest Practice a 10 metre buffer is supposed to be in place but - "plantation trees may be harvested either mechanically or manually from areas classified as buffer strips, but care must be taken during felling to direct them out of the buffer. Activities associated with harvesting in the buffers should result in minimal disturbance to the soil or its protective cover". At this site it was evident that care was not taken and that there had not been a minimal disturbance to the soil.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Traralgon Creek Catchment) - Most likely Parish of Callignee Allotment 20 of C which has been leased from the Crown since 1961. This photo shows a major tributary of Traralgon Creek - a permanent water course (probably a Class 2 Stream) after logging of radiata pine plantations by Hancock. Note the large soil disturbance. This type of soil movement will play havoc on stream ecology after rainfall. Traralgon Creek eventually flows into the Latrobe River and Gippsland Lakes. Click here for more information about the impacts of sediment on native fish. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Traralgon Creek Catchment) - Most likely Parish of Callignee Allotment 20 of C which has been leased from the Crown since 1961. Another view of this trashed tributary of Traralgon Creek. Hancock has recently been 'awarded' Forest Stewardship Certification - meaning that their plantation operations are 'supposedly' world best practice. Hancock is the first company to be awarded this prestigious certification in Australia. How could this operation ever be described as sustainable and best practice?

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Traralgon Creek Catchment) - Most likely Parish of Callignee Allotment 20 of C which has been leased from the Crown since 1961. This photo was taken just up from the preceding photos. This image shows a lack of buffers/filters in this plantation. It also reveals that native trees have been destroyed during the logging of the plantation. Poor plantation management can play havoc with water quality. Certain conservation groups in Australia such as The Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Foundation and Australian Greens have been very supportive of plantation companies such as Hancock. In the rush to back plantation companies these groups have turned a 'blind eye' to plantation management issues and continue to keep publicly silent about problems that occur in the plantation sector.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Traralgon Creek Catchment) - Most likely Parish of Callignee Allotment 20 of C which has been leased from the Crown since 1961. Another non-existent buffer strip on this drainage line.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Billys Creek Catchment - Parish of Jumbuk Allotment 13A of A?). Plantation Expansion by stealth: Hancock style. This photo shows the headwaters of a major tributary of Billy Creek - a designated water catchment whose tributaries are supposed to be protected by 20 metre buffers. This area was logged of its Mountain Ash in 2001/2. The manager responsible for this blatant example of plantation expansion was sacked. The company was supposed to replant these headwaters with indigenous species. Instead the company has planted Shining Gum (a non-endemic species in the Strzeleckis) - not only where the buffer zone is supposed to be, but where indigenous species are supposed to be. For more information about this water supply click here

March 04: A land tenure map of Billys Creek Water Supply Catchment which was proclaimed on March 9 1966 'Notice of Determination of Land-Use in Billy's Creek Water Supply Catchment, Plan No. 1870'. The areas marked in green include leasehold and Hancock land purchased after the buy out of Australian Paper Plantations. The land marked in orange is state forest. The Gazettal map shows explicitly that tributaries of Billys Creek as marked on this map are legally required to grant 1 chain, 2 chain and 3 chain buffers where 'No tree shall be removed or soil disturbed in any way without the specific approval of the Soil Conservation Authority'. The land in the preceeding photo, according to this map, is supposed to be granted 1 chain buffers (~20 metres) from each bank of the tributary where Hancock have been logging.

Furthermore according to the Soil Conservation Authority Billy's Creek Water Supply Catchment Management Prescription '... 8. Clearing, burning, forest utilisation and earthworks of any description excepting those for approved crossings, shall be excluded from the following reserved areas:- ... c) A strip of two chain minimum along both banks of all major tributaries of Billy's Creek. d) A strip of one chain minimum width along both bnaks of all specified watercourses as shown in Plan No. 1870... 9. Trees which cannot be felled and extracted without encroachment on areas (d) and (e) above, shall not be felled...' As stated with the previous photo, not only have Hancock gutted the headwaters of this tributary, but they have refused to replant the 20 metre buffer with indigenous species and have instead, expanded their plantation by planting Shining Gum into these buffers. It can therefore be said that Hancock in this instance have been operating illegally by breaching both the proclamation and the Management Prescription. How can a company operating in such a fashion get Forest Stewardship Council certification for their timber operations in Victoria?

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Billys Creek Catchment - Parish of Jumbuk Allotment 13F of A?). Plantation Expansion by Stealth: Hancock style. Just down from where this photo was taken on Jumbuk Road, roadside vegetation (Crown Land) was illegally removed by Hancock in 2001/2. The roadside vegetation was supposed to have been replanted with indigenous species - instead the company has planted Shining Gum - similar to what can be seen in this photo.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Middle Creek Catchment - Parish of Jumbuk - Allotment 12C of A?). Plantation Expansion by Stealth: Hancock style. This recent hardwood logging coupe just west of Ritchies Road shows the gutting of a major tributary headwater of Middle Creek. Last year this headwater had been retained with Mountain Ash and associated understorey species. The community was under the impression that the headwaters would be retained. Now they realise that they have been duped. This area will also likely be planted out with Shining Gum - another example of the Mountain Ash of the Strzeleckis being converted into Shining Gum - a species non-endemic to the region.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Middle Creek Catchment - Parish of Jumbuk Allotment 12C of A?). Plantation Expansion by Stealth: Hancock style. This recent hardwood logging coupe just west of Ritchies Road shows the gutting of a major tributary headwater of Middle Creek. Erosion problems will also probably eventuate at this site.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Middle Creek Catchment - Parish of Jumbuk Allotment 12C of A?). This recent hardwood logging coupe just west of Ritchies Road shows the gutting of a major tributary headwater of Middle Creek. Erosion problems will also probably eventuate at this site. Note bulldozed tree stump which could cause soil erosion issues.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Middle Creek Catchment - Land leased from the Crown since 1961 - Parish of Jumbuk) - just south of Jumbuk Road. Plantation Expansion by Stealth: Hancock style. This is an example of regenerating Eucalypts globulus Southern Blue Gum - subspecies globulus. Restricted on the mainland to South Gippsland and Otways). This area had recently been burnt by Hancock. Hancock Watch was very interested to see bluegum shooting off old stumps. This site has not yet been replanted by Hancock, meaning that natural regeneration of bluegum was occurring. It also means that at this location bluegums had recently been logged, apparently under the guise of plantation logging. These bluegums were re-establishing themselves at least 50 metres up from the retained Hancock buffer zone - meaning that this area (where the bluegums are reestablishing) should be retained as native forest - not plantation.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Middle Creek Catchment - Land leased from the Crown since 1961 - Parish of Jumbuk) - just south of Jumbuk Road. More examples of regenerating bluegums in an area which was supposed plantation.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges (Middle Creek Catchment - Land leased from the Crown since 1961 - Parish of Jumbuk) - just south of Jumbuk Road. Note Mountain Ash in background. Most of this catchment will be logged in the next few years, with the Mountain Ash being replaced with non endemic Shining Gum.

This photo shows Middle Creek - Parish of Jumbuk (to the bottom) Billys Creek - Parish of Jeeralang (to the top) catchments in December 1966. A large portion of the catchments at these locations had already been cleared for farmland, however large areas of native forests also occurred within the catchments. The very intensively managed land in this photo, was mostly cleared of its forests by APM and then planted out largely with Radiata Pine (in Billy's Creek) and Mountain Ash in Middle Creek. A large amount of farmland in Middle Creek was also replanted with Mountain Ash in later years - as was a large amount of land in the upper portion of Billys Creek (after it had been cleared by APM).

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges - Goomballa Road - Little Traralgon Creek catchment (Parish of Bulga - Allotment 30?). Recent road widening has been occuring in this catchment. The widening has created massive stockpiles of silt and earth, which in some cases has been dumped off the side of the road. This land was owned by Australian Paper Plantations (PaperlinX) and was purchased by Hancock in August 2001. In high rainfall events such poor practice will most likely cause excessive sedimentation of Little Traralgon Creek, causing havoc with freshwater species. Click here for more information about the impacts of sediment on native fish.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges - Goomballa Road - Little Traralgon Creek catchment (Parish of Bulga - Allotment 30?). Recent road widening has been occuring in this catchment. Soils here are the highly erodable Cretaceous Sediments.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges. Logging Road extension - probably Parish of Callignee Allotment 18 of C. This is a major tributary of Little Traralgon Creek and this photo reveals massive earth movement near drainage line tributary. Of special concern is steep logging access track cut into embankment (left of photo) only a few metres from the drainage line. In heavy rainfall this site alone could generate vast amounts of sediment into the Traralgon creek system.

This aerial photo from December 1966 shows the Little Traragon and Traralgon Creek catchments (looking North) with Goomballa Road linking in between. The road at the bottom of the photo is the Grand Ridge Road. Virtually all of the land in this photo is now privately owned by Hancock, with about 300 hectares under a 1961 Crown lease. Parish of Bulga lies in the south of the photo with Parish of Callignee to the north. Much of this land was replanted with Radiata Pine and Mountain Ash by APM.

March 04: Northern Strzelecki Ranges. Billys Creek catchment - Parish of Jeeralang Allotment 20 of A?. Totally unacceptable log landing that has not been rehabilitated. For more information about this water supply click here