Hancock Watch

March 2016 Updates

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. Old growth bluegum chainsawed by Hancock. Hancock claim not to log native forest, but not native forest trees it would seem. Hundreds of old growth trees such as this would be chainsawed by the company each year. Bluegum is a high priority feed tree for the Strzelecki Koala. Were permits applied for to log this tree with Latrobe City Shire?

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. Another old growth bluegum chainsawed by Hancock, in close proximity to the photo above. Were permits applied for to log this tree with Latrobe City Shire?

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. At this location a pine plantation has recently been clearfelled. However, at least 100 bluegum stumps were seen coppicing at this location, meaning that bleuegums were also logged during the plantation felling. Hancock class native forest that regenerate within their plantations as ingrowth. Possibly thousands of ingrowth trees have been clearfelled by Hancock in the Vaggs Creek catchment in the last couple of years.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Middle Creek - near Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. Hancock have recently applied for permit applications to Latrobe City Council to chainsaw 20 old growth bluegums and messmates growing near or in their logging coupes. These trees along this gully line are included in the permit application. Plantation expansion?

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. More examples of trees currently under permit application to be chainsawed by Hancock. Prime Koala habitat.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. This E.obliqua (Messmate) is currently under permit application to be chainsawed by Hancock. Prime Koala habitat.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Freehold. The old growth tree in this image has been applied to be chainsawed by Hancock. The surrounding native forest trees will also likely be wiped out as well during logging of pine plantation.

Approximate location of logging at Healey's Road in the Vagg Creek catchment. South South West of the town of Churchill.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. Old growth trees near logging roads are often chainsawed by Hancock, due to supposed health and safety issues. This tree is also under permit.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. More examples of coppicing bluegums within this pine plantation.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. Photo showing close proximity of pine plantations to remnant bluegums.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. More examples of coppicing bluegums within this pine plantation.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment - Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold. More examples of coppicing bluegums within this pine plantation.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Collapsing log landing or snig tracks. Clear breaches to the Code of Forest Practices. Where is Latrobe City Council?

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Collapsing log landing or snig tracks. High erosion potential.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Collapsing log landing or snig tracks. High erosion potential in this pine plantation established in the 1970's.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Collapsing log landing or snig tracks. Imagine this after heavy rain!

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Landslip at this location occurring after pine trees were logged. Several metres of soil has washed away at this location.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Landslip at this location occurring after pine trees were logged.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Another logged plantation with plenty of coppicing bluegums inside it.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Logging slash pile in close proximity to remnant vegetation. These piles of slash are torched, meaning that the surrounding native vegetation is likely to be killed or badly burnt during the fire.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Coppicing bluegum above collapsing road batter. The tree that had been cut was likely to be holding the soil together. Not anymore.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Coppicing bluegum above collapsing road batter. The tree that had been cut was likely to be holding the soil together. Soil ready to be washed away in next downpour. Could end up in local waterways, blanketing stream beds with sediment..

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek Catchment: 1961 Leasehold. Another example of old logging road batters reasdy to collapse. High erosion problems are already occurring at this location.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Middle Creek 1961 Leasehold. Hundreds of tonnes of soil can run off plantation sites after harvesting. Heavy rain over the next 1-2 years will contribute to high erosion potential at this location. Middle Creek flows into the Morwell River, which in turn flows into the Gippsland Lakes.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Middle Creek - near Healeys Road: 1961 Leasehold.

March 2016: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Vaggs Creek - near Healeys Road: Freehold land. Hundreds of hectares of bare soil lies exposed in this catchment. Ready to wash away during next rainfall.