Hancock Watch

May 2015 Updates

May 15 2015: Plantation Company Questions Marysville Settlement

May 2015 Bright Plantation LEGL93-128: Stacey Gully/Ovens River. Clearfelling in close proximity to residential homes in Walkers Lane. Numerous houses will be impacted by aerial and ground spraying, if it occurs in this area. Residents in Bright and Wandiligong are organising against aerial spraying and are already putting Hancock on notice that they do not want aerial spraying in their community. Concerns have been increased after the World Health Organisation recently ruled that Glyphosate is a probable carcinogen.

May 2015 Bright Plantation LEGL93-128: Stacey Gully/Ovens River. A closer view of houses in close proximity to recent plantation clearfells. Four herbicides are aerially sprayed by Hancock in North East Victoria: Clopyralid, Glyphosate, Metsulfuron Methyl and Hexazinone. Ground sprays include: Carfentrazine-ethyl, Clopyralid, Glufosinate Ammonium, Glyphosate, Metsulfuron Methyl and Triclopyr. Hancock spray Glyphosate at 4.8L/ha and Hexazinone pellets at 11kg/ha. In 2012 Hancock used 46,602 litres of Glyphosate across Victoria, 51,183kg of hexazinone, 749kg of Metsulfuron Methyl, 3266 litres of Clopyralid, 426 litres of Haloxyfop, 22 litres of Picloram, 2278 litres of Triclopyr and 160 litres of Glufosinate Ammonium.

In 1981 women in Bright managed to stop the spraying of 2,4,5-T. The Forests Commission at the time said that it was perfectly safe. Now it is banned. If spraying was considered unsafe then, why is it considered by Hancock to be safe now? Could spraying make Hancock liable to legal action?

May 2015 Bright Plantation LEGL93-128: Stacey Gully/Ovens River. Another management for Hancock are pine wildings which are growing in native forests in their land holdings and outside their land holdings. Radiata Pine is listed as a noxious weed in Victoria.

May 2015 Bright Plantation LEGL93-128: Stacey Gully/Ovens River. North East Region Water Authority Walkers Lane Water Storage Tank located in pine plantation.

March 2015: Freeburgh Plantation/Ovens River catchment, now being used as part of Bright's drinking water supply - Bright Water Security Project, 520 ML off river storage site. This was announced in October 2013. The new storage facility will provide a boost to water supply for Bright during low flow periods in Summer.

March 2015: Freeburgh Plantation/Ovens River catchment, now being used as part of Bright's drinking water supply - Bright Water Security Project, 520 ML off river storage site. This was announced in October 2013.

May 2015 Bright Plantation LEGL93-129: Water Reserve Plantation Bakers Gully Road. This is the old drinking water supply catchment for Bright. One shudders to think was was sprayed in this drinking water supply in the past. This clearfell is only 2.5km south of the centre of the town.

May 2015 Bright Plantation LEGL93-129: Water Reserve Plantation (Bakers Gully Road). New real estate development occurring in very close proximity to recently logged pine plantations. New housing development will increase chemical exposure issues at the plantation/subdivision interface.

May 2015 Wandiligong Plantation LEGL93-130: Morses Creek Plantation. Recent aerial spraying has occurred south of this location, alarming residents who may be exposed via spray drift. Some people also drink water from Morses Creek itself.

May 2015: Carter Holt Harvey plywood factory at Myrtleford in the Barwidgee Creek Catchment. Hancock supply CHH with pine logs from the region.

May 2015 Myrtleford Plantation LEGL93-144: Ovens Plantation in Lickhole Gully, which flows into Barwidgee Creek.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Recent pine logging on Healeys Road.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Summerfields Road - This area is a core koala habitat region, as it is located just south of a major koala hotspot at Morwell National Park. Numerous koala scats have been located in pine plantations, hardwood plantations and of course native forest in the area.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Summerfields Road. Native vegetation removal.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Summerfields Road. Old growth removal Hancock destroys countless native forest trees ex year.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Healys Road. Old growth destruction.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Healys Road. More native forest destruction.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Jumbuk Road. More native forest destruction.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Summerfields Road. Native forest destruction.

May 2015: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment. Summerfields Road. ditto.