Hancock Watch

March 2013 Updates

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. 30 year old Mountain Ash soon to get the chainsaw treatment from Hancock.

Strzelecki Ranges/Tarwin River West Branch: March 27 Hancock lose ~50ha of pine (Leongatha Plantations) and Midways lose ~50ha of Bluegums in fire started by DSE back burn which was lit a day earlier. Between January-March 2013 Hancock lost ~1500ha of pine plantations, their worst year since 2009 and the sixth highest yearly loss of pine plantations in Victoria's history.

South Western Victoria: January 2013 (Kentbruck Fires). Hancock loses 1000ha of pine. Another 400ha was lost at Billywing during the recent Grampians Fires

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Latrobe Spiny Crayfish.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek: Strzelecki Koala hotspot.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek: Strzelecki Koala scat.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Middle Creek Road unpassable due to pine plantation debris strewn over this public road.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Logging machinery equipment have been using this public road, probably making the road undrivable when wet weather occurs.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Road blocked due to pine plantation logging activity.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Hancock contractors have bulldozed this section of roadside vegetation, some of which had been replanted with native plants by volunteers some years before.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Middle Creek Road strewn with logging debris.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. This gentleman is pondering ethical dilemmas concerning the obvious illusions of plantation sustainability. Or maybe he is considering how to navigate the logging debris?

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. FSC certified access tracks - still a headache in the Strzeleckis. What will this look like after rainfall?

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Hancock contractors have bulldozed this section of roadside vegetation, some of which had been replanted with native vegetation by volunteers some years before.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Hancock contractors have bulldozed this section of roadside vegetation, some of which had been replanted with native vegetation by volunteers some years before. Sediment bulldozed off Middle Creek Road.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. How do you drive around this? Bushfire season is due to end soon, but you would not want to confront these logs if a bushfire was fast appraching.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. An obvious genius from Hancock's predecessor, Australian Paper Plantations had a habit of pulling out culverts once logging had been completed. He did this as a cost saving measure. Note more debris on Middle Creek Road.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. This sight will greet travellers as they travel along Middle Creek Road. Better get the chainsaw out - if you have one that is.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. To big to cut with a handsaw. More pine debris left on Middle Creek Road.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek. Ah this will be easier, "Pass me the handsaw love, we could be here for a while".

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Traralgon Creek. Recent lightning strikes hit Gippsland in early March causing this small bushfire on Taylors Road.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Traralgon Creek. Burnt vegetation after lightning strike.

 

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Traralgon Creek. Most of the native vegetation in this image is classed as plantation. 80% will end up at the Maryvale pulp mill.

 

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Jeffreys Creek. Good signs of regeneration inside Cores and Links Reserve.

March 2003 Strzelecki Ranges/Albert River Catchment: Roadside buffers eliminated on Macleans Road.

March 2003 Strzelecki Ranges/Abert River Catchment: Pine plantations being converted to Shining Gum Plantations off Macleans Road.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Jeffreys Creek. Good signs of regeneration inside Cores and Links Reserve.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Jeffreys Creek. Koala sited hanging precariously onto young regeneration inside Cores and Links Reserve.

March 2013 - Central Gippsland/Latrobe River Catchment. Allotment 305A Parish of Rosedale. All of this plantations comes under Lakes Oil Exploration Licence EL5334

More Hanock and mining Information here.

March 2013 - Central Gippsland/Merrimans Creek Catchment. Hancock leasehold Allotment 304 Parish of Rosedale, bordering Holey Plains State Park. Land outside of Park is under Exploration Licence EL5334.

March 2013 - Central Gippsland/Merrimans Creek Catchment. 1080 baiting inside Holey Plains State Park. How many native animals will suffer cruel deaths from this practice - note that baits are left for 2 months!

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment/Allotment 64A Callignee. Good regeneration occurring after February 2009 bushfires. Unfortunately this vegetation is growing inside Hancock plantations, where it will be classified as plantation ingrowth and eventually sprayed with herbicides.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment/Allotment 64A Callignee. Closer view of doomed healthy regeneration.

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Merrimans Creek Catchment/Allotment 64 Callignee. Poor growing pine plantations on steep slopes.

 

March 2013 - Strzelecki Ranges/Stony Creek Catchment/Allotment 3ACallignee. Bushland regeneration in this photo is also likely to be poisoned with aerial application of herbicides.

March 2013 - Strzelecki RangesMiddle Creek. Ted the Koala died a few days after this photo was taken.

March 2013 - Strzelecki RangesMiddle Creek. Ted having one of his last naps before eternity knocks.

March 2013 - Strzelecki RangesMiddle Creek. Even in his last days, Ted was chasing females.

March 2013 - Young Koala checking out humans on Whitelaws Track