September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Non-plantation tree logged inside cool temperate rainforest buffer at College Creek. Hancock classes anything growing within their plantations as 'ingrowth' and as such claim that they can log such trees even if they weren't planted.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: New plantings of euaclaypts (red flexible tree guards) off Track 32 in the College Creek catchment. Why is Hancock planting eucalypts at this site? Is it the Government's intention to reserve the land, as promised, or log it again in 30 years?
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Old growth remnant in College Creek. Hancock have spared this ancient tree for the time being, but how will it survive after it has been left isolated? Is this what is classed as a habitat tree? What about the hundreds of hectares of habitat that will be destroyed at College Creek over the next few months!
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: View of College Creek from Midlands Highway. This was a prime tourist drive now the views are being gutted and the road turned to slush in many places by log trucks.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Close up of young E.regnans recently planted at College Creek by Hancock.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Fertiliser bin for use in College Creek replantings.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Sign on fertiliser bin stating that the fertilser has been treated with the herbicides Terbacil and Sulfometuron Methyl. Why is this toxic concoction being used in a rainforest reserve? Terbacil is considered to be a Developmental and Reproductive Toxin and potential groundwater contaminant. It has a half life in aerobic soils of 520 days and hydrolysis half life of 42 days. Sulfometuron Methyl is a potential groundwater contaminant and has been known to be mobile in water. This concoction could actually hinder natural regrowth for some time. Is that the intention? Eucmix G is registered to use at 30kg/ha to control annual weeds such as Capeweed, Annual Ryegrass and White Clover. It is also registered for use on Fog grass (a perinnial). It is not supposed to be used before (with 2 days) or during periods of intense rainfall. It is also not supposed to be used within 10m of dirt tracks or roads. Why is Hancock spraying native regeneration (not weeds) in a rainforest reserve?
September 20 2009: EucmixG used before periods of heavy rain. Approximately 90mm of rain fell over the site in the last week of September, after herbicide/fertiliser pellets were applied.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: One week later, transport container containing E.regnans (Mountain Ash) seedlings.
Strzelecki Cores and Links Map - Yellow mark indicating approximate location of fertiliser bin (Track 32) and koala habitat destruction.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Eucmix G label states that it must not be used within 10m of tracks or roads. This is an image of a measuring tape at 10 metres from Track 32, showing seedlings planted within this distance. If these seedlings are treated with Eucmix G they will be applied off-label?
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: 10m from logging snigging tracks cut through prime koala habitat at College Creek. Why is Hancock spraying this area at all? Will Eucmix G be applied within 10 metres of snig tracks? Are snig tracks included under the label instructions?
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Recent plantings and evidence of wet weather work near track 32 on western edge of College Creek. All of these seedlings are within 10m.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: More plantings near these poorly drained sites. Herbicide laced fertilisers will also be used here.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Clearfellers wet dream inside rainforest reserve.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Silver Wattle cut down for no apparent reason by Hancock in College Creek reserve area. Note ferns starting to regenerate. Use of Eucmix G could kill this regeneration.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: More logging near cool temperate rainforest. Herbicides to be used here as well.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Replanting has occurred on this steep snig track, increasing potential runoff problems if herbicides are used.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: ditto.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Roadside Reserve Track 32 cut down by Hancock. New seedlings planted.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Road works or is it a log landing in a rainforest reserve.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Death of non plantation tree probably close to 100 years old. Logged by supposed plantation company.
Strzelecki Cores and Links Map - Yellow mark indicating approximate location of Linkletters Road logging.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Wet weather snig track erosion.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Clearfelling on eastern side of catchment.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Tunnel erosion on snigging track.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Obvious signs of wet weather work off Linkletters Road. FSC certified of course.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Logging carnage in site of national conservation significance.
September 2009 College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges/Linkletters Road: Erosion at head of gully.
September 2009 Jack River/Strzelecki Ranges: Rainforest indicator species less than 20 metres from logging clearfell near O'Callaghans Road. Like College Creek this area too was not supposed to be logged under the 2006 Heads of Agreement.
September 2009 Jack River/Strzelecki Ranges: Non plantation logs taken from this site. Hancock are native forest loggers as all vegetation within their supposed plantations can be logged by the company, even trees that were not planted.
Strzelecki Cores and Links Map - Yellow mark indicating approximate location of O'Callaghans Road logging.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Note quality of vegetation wiped out by Hancock. Does this look like plantation to you?
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Non plantation trees destroyed. Prime koala habitat.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: More native forest removal by this supposed plantation company.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Maryvale Pulp Mill will be the destination of these logs.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Yet another non-plantation stump.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/College Creek/Strzelecki Ranges: Oh and here's another one. Probably 50+ older native forest logs taken from this site.
September 2009 Yarram-Madalya Road Albert River headwaters Strzelecki Ranges: New view from prime tourist road.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack River/Strzelecki Ranges: Is this really a 39 year old tree stump?
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack Rive Strzelecki Ranges: More logging near Callaghans Road. Reforestation and anything growing with reforested area can be logged by Hancock.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack Rive Strzelecki Ranges: Maryvale pulp mill here we come.
September 2009 O'Callaghan's Road Jack Rive Strzelecki Ranges: Type of forest logged by Hancock.
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Small land slip off Jeeralang West Road. Is that ryegrass growing in the fire ravaged plantation behind? Yes it is.
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Small land slip off Jeeralang West Road.
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Small land slip off Jeeralang West Road. Note roading ashphalt pushed off the side of the road..
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Small land slip off Jeeralang West Road. No amount of ryegrass will protect these soils. If it did, then why did the landslip occur?
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Small land slip off Jeeralang West Road. Ryegrass growing inside native forest gully. How did it get there?
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: More rye grass growing in timber plantation. Soon after the February 2009 fires, Hancock dropped ryegrass seeds from helicopters across hundreds of hectares of fire ravaged plantations, supposedly to protect soil from offsite movement. What happens to the ryegrass when the plantation is re-established? More herbicides?
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Another view of ryegrass in ex timber plantation, now looking more like a pasture. Many populations of annual ryegrass across southern Australia have developed herbicide resistance due the persistent use of selective herbicides in both cereal and legume crops. High resistance risk has been associated with Group A and B herbicides such as, Haloxyfop, Fluazifop, Metsulfuron Methyl and Sulfometuron Methyl. How will Hancock control this rye grass now? According to DPI; "A number of weed species have developed resistance to herbicides. Of the greatest concern is Annual Ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) because it has developed cross-resistance to a number of different herbicide groups...Annual Ryegrass is one of the most significant weeds for cropping enterprises - and we are rapidly running out of chemical options to deal with it"
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Rye grass growing abundantly in tree plantation.
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges/Bennetts Creek Catchment: Burnt out plantation now resembling a pasture.
September 2009 Strzelecki Ranges: Jeeralang West Road, Mountain Grey Gums? To be logged next?