HANCOCK VICTORIAN PLANTATIONS PTY LTD PLEDGES $305,000 AFTER GRASSLANDS CLEARED (August 27 2012)
The Australian Government secured a legally enforceable $305,000 pledge from plantation timber company Hancock Victorian Plantations Pty Ltd to repair damage done to a critically endangered grassland in south western Victoria and to better protect what remains. Between March and May last year, a contractor employed by Hancock Victorian Plantations cleared an area about the size of a soccer field (0.7ha) of a protected ecological community, known as Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain, near Mannibadar. The company agreed to spend $305,000 towards the recovery and rehabilitation of grasslands in the region. Further details on how the $305,000 will be allocated is at this link http://www.environment.gov.au/epbc/compliance/judgements.html
Australian Federal Government Media Release (August 12 2012)
Between March and May 2011, HVP Plantations engaged an independent contractor to undertake timber harvesting works in the Bradvale Plantations adjoining the Willowvale Road Mannibadar in Victoria. These works resulted in the removal of approximately 0.67 hectares of Natural Temperate Grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (NTGWP) listed as critically endangered under the 1999 EPBC Act.
This plantation was the scene of legal action in 1999 March when the Western Plains Pine Plantation Group won appeal to stop spread of new pine plantations in district of Lismore and Bradvale. Hancock Victorian Plantations had planned to plant an extra 1000 hectares of pine in their district and were aggressively targeting landholders in the region. (Weekly Times March 24 1999 p1).
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek - Mountain Grey Gum Koala habitat tree containing Strzelecki Koala. This is the first koala sited at College Creek since August 2010. Scats and claw marks observed in unlogged coupe November 2009.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek - Mountain Grey Gum Koala habitat tree containing Strzelecki Koala. Koala actually on broken branch.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek - Strzelecki Koala
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Macks Creek. Prime koala habitat, now protected under a Section 69 Agreement of the Forests Act.
Google Earth image of Macks Creek showing prime koala habitat.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek - Appalling creek crossing failing after heavy rain.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek - Appalling roading failing after heavy rain.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek - Appalling roading.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Middle Creek - FSC certified roading.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Mount Mabel Dingo Creek - Planting after logging inside cores and links reserve.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Mount Mabel Dingo Creek - Planting and burning after logging inside cores and links reserve.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Yard Track - Clearfelling of poor growing Mt Ash.
September 2012: Strzelecki Ranges/Yard Track - Natural vegetation.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation. Leased to EPFL from Hancock in 2002. Planted out with bluegums and logged on a ten year rotation.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation.
300ha hectare clearfell 3km from Ballarat's CBD.
Canadian Plantation - marked in yellow and its proximity to Ballarat.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation. Used as a rubbish dump.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation. Pine wildlings growing within plantation remnant vegetation. Seeded from Hancock pines logged pre-2002 and allowed to regenerate unchecked.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation. Pine wildlings growing within plantation remnant vegetation. Who is responsible for stopping the spread of this noxious weed? Hancock or EPFL or someone else?
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation. Pine wildlings growing within plantation remnant vegetation.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Yarrowee River Catchment - Canadian Plantation. Pine wildlings getting the chop inside plantation.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Campaspe River Catchment - Old Campaspe Seed Orchard site - Leased to EPFL in 2002. Logged on ten year rotation. Widepsread spraying of coppicing bluegums over a wide area.
September 2012: Ballarat Region/Campaspe River Catchment - Old Campaspe Seed Orchard site - Leased to EPFL in 2002. Logged on ten year rotation. Widepsread spraying of coppicing bluegums over a wide area.