February 2005: Recent clearfelling of controversial coupe near Gunyah Gunyah Reserve in the Morwell River Catchment. Locals are convinced that much of this area was not planted, it is likely to be the result of natural regneration. Regeneration was likely to have occurred from larger habitat trees as seen in this photo. Hancock aren't waiting for the umpire's decision though, they have rushed in to log this area and will replant in Shining Gum, a non-endemic Strzelecki species. This replanting will occur after herbicide spraying.
February 2005: Strzelecki Ranges - Allotment 56 Parish of Wonyip 1958 Crown Leasehold land. Culvert and road blowout on logging road in Cool Temperate Rainforest in the Morwell River East Branch catchment. Heavy rains in early February obviously created havoc at this location. Pity the streams which also would have been inundated with sediment from recent clearfells and well used logging roads.
February 2005 Strzelecki Ranges: Culvert blow out and subsequent landslip on Middle Creek Road.
February 2005 Strzelecki Ranges: Culvert blow out and subsequent landslip on Middle Creek Road.
February 2005: Landslip near Campbells Road - Morwell River East Branch - Allotment 36B? Parish of Budgeree on ex APM land leased from the Crown. This slip occurred on a drainage line and is about one hundred metres in length. Large amounts of soil and vegetation were washed down the drainage line after heavy rain in early February.
February 2005: Landslip near Campbells Road - Morwell River East Branch - Allotment 36B? Parish of Budgeree on ex APM land land leased from the Crown. The slip was several metres in size, with debris left on logging road.
February 2005: Landslip near Campbells Road - Morwell River East Branch - Allotment 36B? Parish of Budgeree on ex APM land land leased from the Crown. The slip was several metres in size, with debris left on logging road. Sediment deposited on logging road from the landslip was about 1 metre deep at this spot.
February 2005: Road blow out at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Heavy rains had been recorded in early February with 170mm recorded in 24 hours at nearby Wallaby Creek. Several tonnes of road was washed away at this location in the Stony Creek catchment - a subsidiary of King Parrot Creek.
February 2005: Road blow out at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. The culvert obviously could not cope with the deluge and large amounts of logging debris were also washed down the mild slopes at this location.
February 2005: Road blow out at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Looking up from the blow out. Large amounts of sediment have been deposited on the logging road. The logging debris reveals that a torrent of water about 3 metres wide had washed down this drainage line.
February 2005: Road blow out at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Looking down from the blow out. Note the scouring evident at this site and the large deposition of sediment and logging debris.
February 2005: Road blow out at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Looking down from the blow out. Note the scouring evident at this site and the large deposition of sediment and logging debris. King Parrot creek has a relic population of Macquarie Perch. Native fish are extremely sensitive to sediment entering waterways. Hundreds if not thousands of tonnes of sediment may have been washed into King Parrot Creek from this plantation (1500 hectares in size) during the recent downpour. How is this sustainable?
February 2005: Road blow out at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Area marked in red shows the amount of road washed away at this site.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Morwell River East Branch. Allotment 56 Parish of Wonyip. Tree fall in cool temperate rainforest buffer. This tree has collided with a Myrtle Beech tree, possibly exposing the Myrtle Beech to Myrtle Wilt.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Morwell River East Branch. Allotment 56 Parish of Wonyip. This gentleman is standing 100 metres from cool temperate rainforest located in front of him. At this site and throughout the Morwell River East Branch, Hancock have left only 20 metre buffers on cool temperate rainforest. Ecologically speaking the buffer should have been extended at this site to where this man is standing. Meaning that several hectares of trees should have been retained at this location. It is outrageous that a multinational corporation is being so stingy in regards to cool temperate rainforest buffers.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Morwell River East Branch. Allotment 56 Parish of Wonyip. Inside the Cool Temperate Rainforest.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Billy's Creek headwaters. Allotment 13F? Parish of Jumbuk. Hancock was supposed to leave buffers of 20 metres on drainage lines at this location. Several years ago this headwaters was gutted. It has mistakenly been replanted with Shining Gum (E.nitens) in buffers instead of native vegetation. This is plantation expansion by stealth. All the nitens within the buffer zones need to be removed.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek West Branch. Allotment 5a of B Parish of Jeeralang. Recent logging of hardwood on 1961 leasehold gazetted under the 1961 Wood Pulp Agreement.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek West Branch. Allotment 2? Parish of Jeeralang. Landslip. In 2000 a massive landslip occurred at very near this location. PaperlinX had to spend $40,000 to repair the slip. Locals remain convinced that the site will slip again sometime in the near future.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek West Branch. Allotment 5a of B Parish of Jeeralang. Recent logging of hardwood on 1961 leasehold gazetted under the 1961 Wood Pulp Agreement.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek West Branch. Allotment 5a of B Parish of Jeeralang. Recent replanting of Shining gum (E.nitens) on 1961 leasehold gazetted under the 1961 Wood Pulp Agreement. It appears that Hancock have left 50 metre buffers on this tributary at this location due to the 1997 Agreement between Friends of Gippsland Bush and Amcor. The 50 metre buffer however, does not appear to be replanted with indigenous species.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek West Branch. Allotment 5a of B Parish of Jeeralang. Recent replanting of Shining gum (E.nitens) on 1961 leasehold gazetted under the 1961 Wood Pulp Agreement. In October 2002 Hancock Watch revealed that the rare species of Blue Gum subspecies globulus had been removed from this site. Hancock have recently planted Shining Gum (E.nitens) at this location. Plantation expansion by stealth.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek East Branch. Parish of Jeeralang. 1961 Leasehold. Ancient tree ferns probably several hundred years in age near failed Shining Gum (E.nitens) plantation.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek East Branch. Parish of Jeeralang. 1961 Leasehold. Native vegetation removal?
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek East Branch. Parish of Jeeralang. 1961 Leasehold. Jeeralang East Branch waterfall.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Parish of Jeeralang - ex APM allotment 12D on right. Jeeralang West Road several kilometres up from houses and the local community.
During winter 2004 log trucks were travelling in both directions on Jeeralang West Rd. The trucks going downhill were fully laden. This narrow, winding road barely allows an unladen truck with jinker folded to travel within it's own lane.The dangers to local comunity traffic are obvious.Other logging industry vehicles were using the road also during this time. They include floats carrying huge machines, gravel trucks with dog trailers and all the support vehicles. At the completion of this activity Latrobe Shire Council set about repairs to the road caused by the loaded trucks. These trucks weigh about forty five tonnes.
Three months later road repairs seem to have stopped yet the road is still in poor condition with yellow paint marking areas of road requiring repair and not having been done.A simlar situation arose on the previous occasion that loaded trucks travelled down Jeeralang West Rd two years ago. During summer Jeeralang West Rd was fairly quiet with no more than ten to fifteen trucks passing each day. This is still sufficient number to greatly inconvenience any other traffic and people who live on the dirt section. The dust problem is horriffic for residents whose houses are near to the road. Vehicles travelling on the road with the trucks have to come to a standstill untill the dust clears in order to see again and proceed safely. GRP will apply dust suppressant (magnesium chloride) but they appear to be willing to do this only once annually. Last year it took five weeks after the initial request before suppressant was applied. The suppressant becomes less effective if grading of the road occurs and due to traffic. This invariably happens due to the heavy usage the road gets.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Smiths Creek. Parish of Budgeree allotment 22 of B. Wet weather work at pine log dump.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Traralgon Creek catchment. Parish of Jeeralang. Probably 1961 leasehold off Taylors Road. Retained Mountain Grey Gum and Blue Gum - but for how long?
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek East Branch catchment. Parish of Jeeralang. Probably ex APM land off Taylors Road. Large amount of soil bulldozed off this logging track to divert water off logging road.
February 2005 - Strzelecki Ranges - Jeeralang Creek East Branch catchment. Parish of Jeeralang. Probably ex APM land off Taylors Road. Logging track cut through head of gully.
February 2005: Very poor drainage at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Mathiesson Creek catchment, a tributary of King Parrot Creek.
February 2005: Very poor drainage at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West.
February 2005: Appalling drainage at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Note the amount of sediment washed down this track in centre of photo.
February 2005: Very poor drainage at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Matthieson Creek catchment.
February 2005: Very poor drainage at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Matthieson Creek catchment.
February 2005: Very poor drainage at Mt Robertson plantation near King Lake West. Matthieson Creek catchment. This area is not considered to be a drainage line. Why? No buffers of native vegetation have been granted at this location, when it is quite clear that water is draining down the catchment at this location.