July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: In September 2013, environmentalists had to go to the local press to reveal that regeneration inside the Strzelecki Cores and Links Reserve had recently been bulldozed, as it did not meet absurd regeneration standards agreed between Hancock and the Department of Primary Industries in 2008. Nothing was resolved from the September 2013 issue, because 10 months later it can be revealed that Hancock is again bulldozing regeneration inside the reserve. Not only was the community excluded from the Cores and Links Reserve deal in 2008, after pushing for the reserve for a decade, but the community had concerns then regarding regeneration inside the reserve post logging - but were ignored.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: The regeneration standard signed between the Department of Primary Industries and Hancock stipulates that 300 eucalyptus trees per hectare are required before the logged areas are added to the reserve system. If areas within the Cores and Links Reserve, do not meet the unrealistic requirement of trees per hectare, Hancock is under obligation to plant out the areas with eucalypts in order to get to the 300 number. This regeneration standard is not based on natural processes of regeneration of forests after disturbance, which may take many more years for eucalypts to emerge. The species that are currently being bulldozed are part of the natural cycle of the environment trying to repair itself after mass disturbance.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: The regeneration standard now means that further mechanical entries are made inside the Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve, further delaying natural regeneration processes. Rather than send teams in to work inside the natural renegeneration, Hancock are sending in bulldozers to clear the land quickly and then do the required hand planting. This sets back natural regeneration by 4-5 years and will be expensive. The community wanted the logged areas to naturally regenerate, without the need for replanting in most instances. What we see now is an expensive intervention, caused by the signing of unrealistic regeneration standards. Who signed these standards? They are costing Hancock dearly.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: Site of national conservation significance again being butchered by the unsustainable plantation industry.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: Longer view of the areas being scalped inside the supposed rainforest reserve.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: Native understorey gets destroyed along with trees already planted by Hancock.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: Newly bulldozed areas inside rainforest reserve.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/College Creek: View of areas bulldozed in 2013. What happens if this does not regenerate to the standard required. Will it be bulldozed again?
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek: Recent pine logging in core koala area, located between Morwell National Park and Middle Creek.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek: This pine plantation has recorded high numbers of koala scats. The scats were recorded near the ridge shown in this photo. On the other side of the ridge, is remnant native forest including preferred koala tree species, Blue gum.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek: Logging of the pine plantation also sees the destruction of native vegetation within the plantations, in this case Bluegum trees. It is unknown whether or not this particular bluegum was a koala habitat tree.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Vaggs Creek: Hancock Watch estimate that over 20 Bluegums have been destroyed during the logging of this pine plantation. Were koalas inside the pine plantation during logging? Where else in Hancock's pine plantations have koalas been present?
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Middle Creek: Many fresh koala scats were recently found 60 metres inside this plantation, indicating that koalas are not only found on the edges of plantations but deeper inside.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Middle Creek: A view into this plantation showing the "plantation wall" that seperates Morwell National Park with the remnant vegetation of Middle Creek. This whole area is a koala hotspot, one of the few remaining in the region.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Tributary of Middle Creek: Many koala scats were found in this plantation located in close proximity to Morwell National Park. The scats were found 40m inside the plantation.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Jack River: Recent logging inside the Cores and links reserve.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Jack River: Six year old regeneration inside the Strzelecki Cores and Links Rainforest Reserve at Dubois Track. This site, full of key koala feed trees, started to be logged in May 2008.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Jack River: Regeneration of Cores and Links reserve on eastern side of Jack River in an old pine plantation.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Jack River: View looking south west, across a highly dessicated landscape.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Silver Creek: Remant stand of E. ovata, swamp gum inside this recently logged pine plantation. Riparian vegetation is rare in the region.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Silver Creek: Image showing pines in close proximity to remnant stand of E.ovata.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Silver Creek: Further downstream from the preceeding images shows Silver Creek, without the riparian vegetation remaining to protect the waterway from disturbance during logging. At this location pine trees have been fallen into and next to the creek.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Ten Mile Creek: Sparce riparian vegetation in recently logged pine plantation.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Ten Mile Creek: Charming view across quarry used for logging roads and recently logged pine plantation.
July 2014: Strzelecki Ranges/Ten Mile Creek: Poor FSC certified roading drainage inside this plantation.