Site 33 Wallan - Woodstock Road (Epping Road) cuttings, Merriang - Humevale Formation

This information has been developed from one or more of these publications:

Sites of Environmental Significance in the Flood Plain of the Upper Yarra Valley Region (1983) by Neville Rosengren, Douglas Frood and Kim Lowe (as part of a study of Sites of Environmental Significance by the University of Melbourne for the then Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Authority).

Geological heritage sites, including sites of geomorphological interest and volcanic heritage sites, are under regular revision by the Geological Society of Australia, especially in the assessment of significance and values.Reference should be made to the most recent reports. See the Earth Science Heritage section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:	Site 32 CLONBINANE 5000/04.03 E25200 N50550
	Cutting on western side of Wallan – Woodstock Road (also known as Epping Road) 50 m north of intersection with Beveridge Road.
Access:	Woodstock – Wallan Road (Epping Road).
Ownership & Municipality:	Public Land, City of Whittlesea.
Site Description:	The road cuttings expose gently dipping interbedded sandstone and siltstone beds of the Humevale Formation. Primary structural features of the beds (bedding planes, depositional structures), tectonic features (joints and minor faults) and weathering of the sedimentary rocks are clearly displayed. The weathering and duplex soil developed on these beds is well displayed in the profile shown by the cutting. There is a 1.5 m wide decomposed dyke intersecting the sedimentary beds. The steep angle of dip of the dyke contrasts with the shallow dip of sedimentary rocks.
Significance Rating:	Regional.
	The site is an accessible exposure of the Humevale Formation, a formation which is the bedrock of the upper catchment of the Merri Creek.
Site Sensitivity:	Class 2.
	The exposures are gradually deteriorating by weathering and slumping of the over steepened slopes of the road cut. The slopes are too steep to allow vegetation growth and it is likely the cuttings will continue to be visible for many years. Within the interests of road safety, the RCA should be urged to maintain the cuttings as geological features if future road maintenance or widening operations are carried out. The eastern cutting has the best exposures and is best viewed from the top of the western (lower) cutting. There is no adjacent off-road parking but the site may be safely viewed by small groups at road level.
References:	None known.

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