NNNN BAD DEVELOPERS NNNN

EXPOSING DEVELOPERS WHO FAIL TO APPRECIATE AND RESPECT COMMUNITY, ENVIRONMENT AND SPIRIT OF THE LAND

HOME _ CONTACT Search: search tips sitemap

Plantation Headaches

South Australia

Plantations in Adelaide's drinking water supply.

Reservoirs poisoned with Atrazine 1997-8 (Comprehensive Background information about this issue)

According to the SA EPA "In 1998 Atrazine, Hexazinone and Simazine were detected in Barossa, Millbrook, Mount Bold, Myponga, Happy Valley, Warren and South Para Reservoirs"

Map of SA plantations in domestic water supplies can be found here.

Western Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

South Australia

SA Water Plantations - South Para Reservoir - a source of Adelaide drinking water.

SA Water Plantations - South Para Reservoir - A source of Adelaide's drinking water

SA Water plantations. Adelaide drinking water - South Para Reservoir

Adelaide drinking water - Logging in catchment of South Para Reservoir by Forestry South Australia. After the logging comes the herbicide application. What happens to the herbicides when it rains (heavily)?

Forestry South Australia Plantations - Warren Reservoir - Adelaide drinking water

Forestry South Australia Plantations - Warren Reservoir - Adelaide drinking water. Over 3000 hectares of plantations lie upsteam of the Warren Reservoir.

Forestry South Australia Plantations - Millbrook Reservoir - Adelaide drinking water. Another 600 hectares of plantations upstream of a reservoir.

More plantations surrounding Mount Bold Resevoir in South Australia.

Western Australia

Vast pine plantations on the Gnangara Mound north of Perth in Western Australia. Almost 10% of the Mound is covered with approximately 20,000 ha of pine plantations. The Gnangara Mound can supply Perth with between 40 & 60% of its drinking water. The pines use vast quantities of drinking water.

Tasmania

Brushy Rivulet Conversion, northern Tasmania, Meander River Catchment.

Tasmania - Burns Creek area, North Esk River Catchment, Launceston's Water Supply

Tasmania - Forester River Catchment, north of Branxholme.

Tasmania - Meander River just downstream from headwaters.

Tasmania - Meander River Catchment south of Deloraine - Conversion of farmland to plantation.

Tasmania - Meander River Catchment, south of Deloraine.

Tasmania - Wilmot River System (part of Forth River water supply)

Guide Reservoir and surrounds in NW Tasmania. Guide Reservoir supplies drinking water to the city of Burnie as does the Cam River. In 2002 almost 27% of the Cam River catchment was covered in plantations.

Wandle River in North West Tasmania. The Wandle River flows west into the Arthur River. Massive forest conversion to plantations has been occurring in this region.

Launceston Water Supply - Widespread conversion of native forests to plantations has occurred in Tasmania since the signing of the Regional Forest Agreements.

Victoria

Also see Hancock Watch

East Gippsland. Harris Daishowa establishing plantations, of which about 300ha lie in the town of Orbost's drinking water supply.

Simazine was detected by East Gippsland Water leaching from one of Harris Daishowa's plantations in the Rocky River catchment in August 2002. Rocky River provides the town of Orbost with drinking water.

Jan 2008. Deep Creek, Foster's water supply. Great Southern Plantations 75ha of bluegum plantation to be established soon.

July 2007: Leongatha - South Gippsland Water Supply. Ruby Creek.

July 2007: Korumburra Water Supply - Bellview Creek Reservoir surrounded by pine plantations with new bluegums established on southern slopes of Bellview Creek.

Upper Coliban Reservoir, with 200 hectares of bluegums recently established around the southern part of the reservoir (upstream of the reservoir) in the Coliban river catchment.

Strzelecki Ranges - October 2006: Recent pasture spraying most likely for establishment of bluegum plantations in Tarwin River East Branch - domestic water supply. Parish of Mirboo.

Swan Marsh: 2nd year herbicide application in bluegum plantation owned by Great Southern Plantations.

Forestry is another land use that can impact on water supply quality. This photo was taken in the Merino water supply catchment in western Victoria. This photo shows a pine plantation that has recently been logged. Herbicides are applied on pine plantations, post logging, to control competing native vegetation. At this site, it would be possible for herbicides to leach into groundwater which in turn is consumed by local residents.

Generally speaking, horticulture uses more pesticides than forestry, which in turn uses more pesticides than grazing. Therefore converting grazing country into forestry or horticultural areas will lead to an increase in pesticide use in those areas. But converting horticultural areas into forestry/plantation areas would lead to a significant decrease in pesticide use. However this rarely occurs due to the high value of horticultural land.

Jan 07: Penny Royal Creek catchment pine plantations and cropping in close vicinity to creek which is a proclaimed water supply for the residents of Geelong.

Jan 07: Pine plantations in close vicinity to the Gellibrand River (a domestic water supply for 50,000 people) in the Parish of Natte Murrang, 6km's north of Carlisle.

Jan 07: Timbercorp getting ready to spray bluegums in the vicinity of Swan Marsh, west of Colac. This was the site of a detailed VCAT case in January 2006 where locals residents didn't want bluegum plantations in their community. The community lost.