December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment/Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve. Hancock proudly use this sign alerting tourists to the Duff Sawmill Heritage Trail. "Regrowth Blackwood and Native Eucalypt Forests managed for conservation purposes".
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Duff Sawmill Heritage Trail/Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve. Clearfelled. Obvious logging of "Regrowth Blackwood and Native Eucalypt Forests managed for conservation purposes" by FSC certified plantation company.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Jungadale Nature Reserve is managed by the Carrajung Conservation Reserve Association Incorporated since 25/6/98 and granted to the community as a result of the 1998 Heads of Agreement, signed between Friends of Gippsland Bush and Australian Paper Plantations. The original deal had nothing to do with Hancock, yet Hancock's name is proudly displayed on this sign. Why? A cynical analysis could be that HVP are attempting to benefit from public relations concerning the koala and Jungadale Nature Reserve.
Google Earth image of Carrajung Region, showing Hancock's lands marked within yellow boundaries, surrounding Jungadale to the north, west and east. Jungadale is not owned by Hancock.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Greigs Creek Catchment. Recent clearfelling on the eastern side of Tarra Bulga National Park, off Yarram Madalya Road and subsequent baiting using 1080 baits. 1080 is highly toxic and is a development/reproductive toxin. Amcor stopped using 1080 in 1990 in the Strzeleckis due to community pressure. 1080 can also play havoc with dwindling populations of spot tailed quolls (below). Quolls have recently been sighted in the Strzeleckis.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Recent clearfelling in plantation estabalished in 1982. Large amounts of displaced soil and obvious signs of wet weather work which is supposedly not supposed to happen under the Code of Forest Practices.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. More signs of wet weather work in domestic water supply for the town of Seaspray - population ~200.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. FSC certified log landing gone wrong.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Metre deep excavation near log landing for what purpose?
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Poorly formed logging road.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Widespread use of herbicides in domestic water supply for Seaspray.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Macks Creek Catchment. More widespread spraying of herbicides. About 30 residents rely on Macks Creek for drinking water.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Macks Creek, recent cleafelling of pines in the catcment will most likely result in aerial spraying. Will people who rely on Macks Creek for drinking water be informed of the residual properties of the herbicides being used?
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Steep slopes in portions of this catchment.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Poorly maintained logging tracks in highly erodable soils and recent heavy rain is leading to landslips.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Obvious signs of landslipping on slopes that should be too steep for plantations.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Several landslips have opened up at this location.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment. A closer look at one of the landslips.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Waterhole Creek Catchment. Another poorly formed logging road, leading to erosion on the northern side of the Strzeleckis.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Waterhole Creek Catchment. Incinerated E.nitens plantation, being replaced with healthy regenerating native forest, on land burnt out in 2009 bushfires. The regenerating native forest won't stand a chance as the burnt plantation will be bulldozed and sprayed with herbicides in the near future.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Headwaters. Incinerated Mt Ash nativeforest, another tragic result of the Feb 09 bushfires.
December 2011: Strzelecki Ranges/Greigs Creek Catchment. Hancock have been very busy logging this catchment over the past few months.