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December 2008 Updates

Forest Stewardship Council and Smartwood fails Strzelecki Rainforest.

National Site of Conservation Significance, College Creek about to be Clearfelled.

Dec 08: Victorian Conservation Groups now united against horrible Cores and Links deal.

"Smartwood/Rainforest Alliance now have zero credibility in Victoria. They have sold out the forests of Gippsland for profit. They remain lapdogs of the Australian timber industry and are now standing silent whilst sites of national conservation significance get sacrificed. FSC is not worth the paper it is written on. It is a sham." Anthony Amis Friends of the Earth.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges - College Creek: In recent weeks Hancock have reopened logging tracks in this site of National Conservation Significance in preparation for logging. This entire catchment was protected under a Heads of Agreement signed October 2006. Now Hancock will gut 350ha + inside this catchment. This site will now be logged and replanted with E.Regnans which will also guarantee Hancock carbon credits. Hancock therefore benefit from logging a site of national conservation significance, releasing vast quantities of carbon into the atmosphere, and then benefit financially from replanting the site.

Approximate location of College Creek photos on this webpage indicated with yellow dot on above image. Strzelecki Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve marked in blue. Rainforest in red.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: College Creek rainforest buffers including buffers on nearby Slender Fork Fern. College Creek is the stronghold of this species on mainland Australia. Slender Fork Fern is critically endangered on mainland Australia.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Dubios Track in the Jack River Catchment, a site of state significance for its rainforest attributes. At this site Hancock has logged an entire stand of E. Viminalis, prime koala feed trees.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Albert River Road. Jeffrey Creek catchment. This is another site originally protected under the 2006 Heads of Agreement. Now being gutted to provide timber primarily to Maryvale Pulp Mill. This was was initially protected to safeguard its warm and cool temperate rainforest attributes.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Another site on Albert River Road, protected under the 2006 Heads of Agreement about to be clearfelled by Hancock.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Albert River Road. Hancock running bulldozers through indigneous understorey in close proximity to warm temperate rainforest. This is another site to fall, which was initially protected under the 2006 Heads of Agreement.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeffrey Creek Catchment. Wipeout of indigenous understorey in Jeffrey Creek catchment.

Approximate location of logging in Jeffrey Creek catchment off Albert River Road marked with yellow dot on map above. Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve marked in blue. Not all rainforest located in Jeffrey Creek catchment has been indicated on this map.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeffrey Creek Catchment. Forest Vine located in close proximity to bulldozers.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeffrey Creek Catchment. Old growth stags, crucial for habitat values chainsawed by Hancock. This tree had developed hollows and was well over 120 years old.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeffrey Creek Catchment. Tracks being bulldozed through wet forests containing warm temperate rainforest species.

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December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeffrey Creek Catchment. Tracks being bulldozed through wet forests, with warm temperate rainforest species.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeffrey Creek Catchment. Old growth forests located in Jeffrey Creek catchment.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Morwell River East Branch. Logging of rainforest buffers by Hancock. These sites are of regional conservation significance and their buffers have been decimated by Hancock for several years now, with blessing from Smartwood and the Forest Stewardship Council since 2004. To add insult to injury many of the Mountain Ash rainforest buffers of the Morwell River East Branch were replanted with Shining Gum, a non-indigenous species to the Strzeleckis. This is conversion and is supposed to be against FSC Rules and Principles.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Morwell River East Branch. Logging of rainforest buffers by Hancock.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Morwell River East Branch. Logging of minimal rainforest buffers by Hancock. Myrtle Beech species in background, less than 20m from the logging.

Approximate location of recent logging by Hancock near rainforest in Morwell River East Branch catchment, marked with yellow dot. Rainforest marked in red.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Morwell River East Branch. Logging in wet weather conditions of rainforest buffers by Hancock. Bulldozer tracks through rainforest buffers.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Morwell River East Branch. Logging of rainforest buffers by Hancock. Most of this coupe should theoretically not have been logged as the rainforest requires much greater buffers than those afforded by Hancock.

Decemeber 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jack River catchment. More wet weather work off Jack River Road. FSC certified.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Jack River Catchment. Logging within a metre of Slender Tree Ferns which are listed under the FFG Act on public land.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: More wet weather work by Hancock. A bulldozer actually drove through this slope. Note person at top of photo. FSC certified roading.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Poorly constructed access tracks with high erosion potential off Jack River Road. Jack River catchment.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges - Jack River Catchment: More images of wet weather work by Hancock.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Log dumps mainly sourced from Strzelecki Cores and Links rainforest reserve, 75% of which will end up at Maryvale Pulp Mill

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Recent clearfelling in Jack River catchment near sites of state significant rainforest.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges - Jack River Catchment: More abysmal roading on Jack River Road. This wet weather work has actually blocked the road to all traffic. The piles of soil are over one metre high. FSC certified.

Strzelecki Ranges - Jack River Catchment. Same shot different angle. FSC certified roading.

Approximate location of photos on this webpage highlighting massive soil erosion problems in Jack River Catchment.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Middle Creek large soil exposure in pine plantation planted in 1970's.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Cable Logging of pine plantations in Middle Creek Catchment.

December 2008 Strzelecki Ranges: Looking into the headwaters of Middle Creek. All privately owned by Hancock.