Hancock's logging practices -

Update September 2001

93-78b: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges. The gully in this photo has apparently been spared from logging. This is a great improvement in Hancock's management of their hardwood 'plantations' in the Strzeleckis. One year ago this entire gully would have most likely been terminated.

93-78d: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges. Non-logged gully on the eastern side of Comp 9 Road. Hancock would most likely have logged this gully one year ago. It appears that a change in staff has rectified this problem.

93-78e: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges. Comp 9 Road in Morwell River West Branch catchment. Hardwood 'Plantation' logging. Apparently the young ash trees shown in this photo will remain as a buffer zone. One year ago Hancock would have logged at least 50 metres down this gully. This is a marked improvement on past logging practices.

93-78f: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges. Comp 9 Road. Close up of 'protected' gully. Hancock now employ a forester to walk the boundaries of each hardwood plantation before logging. He marks the boundaries with pink tape - as seen in this photo. The buffer here should have been further up the embankment by at least 10 metres, however this is a considerable improvement on past practices. The gully on the left side of the photo will apparently not be logged.

93-107f: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges (Merrimans Creek Rainforest). Note lack of appropriate 'Buffer zone' for cool temperate rainforest. Myrtle Beech in background. Cool Temperate Rainforest requires buffers of at least 250 metres for adequate protection against fire and Myrtle Wilt disease. The buffer zone on the eastern side of Merrimans Creek was gutted by VPC in 1997 thereby threatening the long term survival of this rainforest which has a lineage of 80 million years.

93-107h: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges. FFG listed Slender Tree Fern inside the Cool Temperate Rainforest of Merriman's Creek.

93-107o: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges: Cool temperate rainforest with old growth ash forest acting as a rainforest buffer on the western slope of Merriman's Creek. Pity about the eastern side!

93-89b: July 2001 - Strzelecki Ranges. Just off Palmer Track, eucalyptus 'plantation' logged and then converted to pine plantation. This is a very worrying development and a step in the wrong direction for Hancock.