2017 June: Strzelecki Ranges/Albert River catchment. Poorly regeneration in Cores and Links Reserve in pine plantation logged in 2009/10
Nine Mile Creek in North Eastern Victoria. The herbicide Hexazinone has been detected in Nine Mile Creek consistently, at low levels since 2012. See Here For Details
A large portion of Nine Mile Creek is covered by pine plantations, which are also treated with pellitised hexazinone by Hancock. The township of Yackandandah relies on Nine Mile Creek for its drinking water. Large scale clearfellintg has occurred in this catchment since 2002/3. The local water authority, North East Water, didn't start testing for Hexazinone regularly until 2008. Is contaminated groundwater a source of the Hexazinone entering Nine Mile Creek? Hancock Watch was again raising concerns in April 2006
2017 June: Central Gippsland Perry River catchment. Maffra School Plantation gets the chop.
Morwell mill: Australian Paper gains on Carter Holt Harvey loss
NATALIE KOTSIOS, The Weekly Times May 25, 2017 PINE saw log supplier Hancock Victorian Plantations has negotiated to extend supply to Gippsland’s Australian Paper, should processor Carter Holt Harvey shut its Morwell mill. CHH is consulting its 160 employees about the likely closure of the softwood sawmill, which is unviable due to significantly reduced timber supply. Hancock lost about seven million trees on its pine plantations in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. Combined with earlier bushfires, about 15 per cent of its plantations have been destroyed since 2003. . Hancock’s chief executive Karl Kny said the company had spent more than $50 million replanting the trees, and had been in “force majeure” — meaning the company was free from meeting its contract obligations due to extraordinary circumstances — since the 2009 fires. “The ramifications of this arson are still impacting us today — there are simply not enough trees left,” Mr Kny said. “This will not change until the replanted trees reach maturity after 2032. “We have been working with CHH to meet our supply obligations as best we can from our plantations, however the volumes and quality of pine sawlogs will fall significantly in the years ahead.” Hancock has negotiated to supply extra product to Australian Paper’s Maryvale plant, but that would come into effect only if the Morwell mill shuts. Mr Kny confirmed Hancock would continue supplying CHH’s Yarram mill. The Victorian Government is unable to assist timber supply to the Morwell mill, as it does not own any softwood plantations. Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said workers at CHH in Morwell had access to the same worker transition service as employees of the now-closed Hazelwood coal mine. The pending closure of the Morwell mill comes as Australian Sustainable Hardwoods prepares to shut down its Heyfield timber mill. Ms Pulford said discussions about what the Victorian Government could do to save the mill were ongoing.