Plantation within Dominance Industries (Alpine MDF Industries) area of supply. Plantation within D & R Henderson/Monsbent area of supply. Proclaimed Water Catchment Area: This plantation area is located in the Ovens River (Wangaratta) Water Supply Catchment. North East Victoria Plantation Map here This plantation was very likely to be aerially sprayed with 2,4,5-T between 1968 and 1977. The Dioxin TCDD may still exist in soil in this plantation. For more historical data on 2,4,5-T click here. For more information concerning the continuing health crisis concerning 2,4,5-T please forward to here. Herbicides Used by Hancock in Pine Plantations - North East Region Victoria
MURRAY RIVER SUPPLIES WATER TO YARRAWONGA, COBRAM, BARMAH, ECHUCA , KERANG, PIANGIL, SWAN HILL, ROBINVALE, MILDURA Also see: 2003 April Updates THREATENED FISH NOTES - KIEWA RIVER: Murray
Cod found in Kiewa River. River needs
environmental flows. Yackandandah Creek has populations of Mountain
Galaxias and Blackfish,
however stream levels do fluctuate and the creek is very temperamental
to slight changes upstream. Mountain
Galaxias (Galaxias olidusi)
taxonomy is under review. Outcome could determine a separate species
in the North East. b) Did not enter site - took photo from
main road. no logging taking place - time constraints. April
03: Visited the south west portion of this plantation and travelled
along Rolland Road. No visible signs of logging activity. c) did not enter site - took photo from
main road. no logging taking place - time constraints d) Logging had just been carried out on
northern most slope of this plantation (Happy Valley Creek side). The
slopes at this site were extremely steep and there was no evidence of
any kind of buffer zones. The scars from this logging site can be seen
10km along the Happy Valley Road. This site should be retired from intensive
timber production. Erosion potential very high and was probably the
most severe case of logging seen during this north east visit. Over
the Eurobin Gap heading south it was evident that harvesting had been
carried out in a number of other plantations that constitute this plantation.
Generally the slopes were less severe and there was examples of remnant
vegetation along creeks still present. There also appeared to be some
wildings escaping into gully lines of native vegetation as well as blackberry
infestation. Slopes on the northern side of the south facing plantations
were generally steep. Perhaps too steep for sustainable pine production.
April 03: Entire site had been replanted
with pine. It appeared that some gullies may have not been planted,
but these gullies were dominated with weed species. Large piles of soil
were observed at the top of Eurobin Gap (at the head of gully) next
to the water tank. In the event of heavy rainfall this could all wash
down the gully line. Just down from Eurobin Gap (in the Porepunkah Gully
catchment) it was evident that roading was erodiing and slumping severely.
These problems probably breach the Code of Forest Practices. Much of
the Porepunkah Gully catchment had been clearfelled over the past two
years. Pine had been replanted. e) Recent clearing activity in place. Slopes quite steep. Due to workers present we could not go through the plantation in any great details. However there would be some debate about the sustainability of such an operation on the steeper slopes. April 03: Recent clearfelling had cut out almost the entire plantation. Slopes were very steep and the impact of the site is dramatic as slopes up to 600 metres high had been logged. Some mug had driven his bulldozer through the major tributary of Havilah Creek on the plantation. Buffers along this creek were almost non-existent and most likely breach the Code of Forest Practices. Native vegetation had been cut down at the top of the plantation in the south east corner. At least 20 trees - most likely old growth were dumped in piles with the radiata pine. It was unclear whether this was a firebreak operation. Roading was dodgy in places. Overall a very sloppy logging operation had been conducted at this site.
April 2003: Havilah plantation: Excessive slopes with high potential for soil mobilisation. “Special Investigation: North-Eastern Victoria - Ovens Softwood Plantation Zone. Land Conservation Council 1981. p12 The eastern region The eastern part of the study area - which extends
north from Mount Beauty, along the Kiewa Valley, and as far west as
Havilah - consists of mountainous terrain composed of metamorphic rocks.
These rocks are more resistant to erosion than the sedimentary rocks
of the central region and have been subjected to intensive faulting,
which in turn has influenced the alignment of major streams in the area.
The Kiewa Valley is bounded by faults, and many of its tributaries -
for example, Running Creek and Glen Creek - follow fault lines. Friable
reddish and brownish gradational soils dominate the steep mountainous
country, while duplex soils are common on the lower valley slopes and
alluvial fans. These soils are generally suitable for the growth of
softwoods unless they are poorly drained.”
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