Strzelecki Ranges June 05: Hancock logging within Cores and Linkage Areas (again). This is the third time in 7 months that Hancock Watch have found the company logging within the Cores and Linkages Reserve which was announced by the company, in conjunction with Trust for Nature and the Nature Conservancy in October 2004. (For a map of the entire reserve see here). The area marked in light purple is the approximate area that has been logged by Hancock within the College Creek core area. The 4 red marks are the approximate location of tracks that have been used/widened in the past week alongside and inside the College Creek core area. Hancock Watch took the following photgraphs and visited the sites in question on May 29, 2005.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Logging track widened, most of which lies within the College Creek catchment in a Core area. We thought that this was a reserve. Reopening tracks can introduce weeds into forest areas.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Logging track reopened within the College Creek catchment in a Core area.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Logging track reopened within the College Creek catchment in a Core area.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Recent clearfell logging with the College Creek core area. Several hectares has been clearfelled within the Cores and Links, as well as logging tracks opened up inside the Core area.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Another track opened up in native forest and cores area by this supposed plantation company.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Looking east into the College Creek core area.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Where are the stumps? It would appear at this location that Hancock have been clearing 'high conservation native vegetation' to establish plantations. This could be described as plantation expansion by stealth.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). The type of land being cleared by Hancock to establish Shining Gum plantations.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Wonyip (ex APM Leasehold land - Morwell River East Branch). At this location a new logging track has been constructed in order for Hancock to get access to supposed hardwood "plantations". At the top of the hill however where the track stops, there are no plantations, but native forest. Will Hancock clear this native forest?
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Old logging track recently reopened by Hancock in Core Area. Located just off the Midland Highway.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Another logging track recently reopened by Hancock to get access to supposed plantations in Morwell River East Branch. Located just off the Midland Highway. Note native forest. This is not farmland and therefore requires a permit. Has a permit to do this work been approved by Latrobe Shire? If not why?
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Logging track recently reopened by Hancock. Located just off the Midland Highway. Note native forest.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). A large landslip has occurred at this location in the Morwell River East Branch. This slip probably occurred due to clearing of plantations and heavy rain in February. The slip lies just up from a large stand of Cool Temperate Rainforest.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Jumbuk (ex APM Leasehold land). Morwell River East Branch Rainforest.
June 05: Inside the rainforest.
June 05: Midland Highway. Strzelecki Koala. This is the only relic population of Koala left in Victoria. All other populations are suffering from inbreeding. The safeguarding of the Strzelecki Koala could be the key to saving the koala population throughout Victoria. Only problem is that Hancock have purchased the rights to log a very large percentage of the animals remaining habitat. Where's Hancock's Koala Management Plan which was supposed to be written in conjunction with the Australian Koala Foundation? Hancock are currently converting large areas of Mountain Ash (which is a Koala food source) to Shining Gum (which is not a koala food source).
June 05: Koala scat on Midland Highway.
June 05: Strzelecki Ranges Parish of Budgeree (probably ex APM Leasehold land). Morwell River East Branch logging. These old radiata pine sites are being converted into Shining Gum plantations. Increased hardwood plantations may also mean introduction of insecticides such as Alpha-Cypermethrin which is toxic to some freshwater invertebrates at 4 parts per trillion!
May 05: Ballarat Region. Clearfelling of Geelongs Water Supply. 1500 hectares of pine plantations surround Korweinguboora Reservoir. Probably half of these plantations have been logged in the past couple of years. For more information about this plantation see here. Spraying has already occurred in places, but the public is not informed.
May 05: Stewarts Creek plantation, located in Daylesford's water supply catchment. This plantation was clearfelled by Hancock in April 2004. The plantation has now been retired and is in the early phase of regenerating back to native forest. This will be a good result for the town of Daylesford who will not have their water catchment chemically sprayed with herbicides at this location. For more information about this plantation see here.