Site 34 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:	CLONBINANE 5000/04.03 E25700 N52400
	Cutting on the eastern side of Wallan – Woodstock Road (also known as Epping Road) 200 m north of MacGregor 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 is displayed. The weathering and duplex soil developed on these beds is well displayed in the profile shown by the cutting. Additional interest is the small natural erosion tunnels in the “C” horizon on the eastern cutting. A 2 m wide decomposed dyke intersects the sedimentary beds. The steep angle of dip of the dyke contrasts with the shallow dip of the sedimentary rocks.
Significance Rating:	Regional.
	The site is the best accessible exposure of the Humevale Formation in the study area. This formation 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 management or widening operations are carried out. As at Site 32, the best view is from the top of the opposite cutting. There is good off-road parking (on the western side). Due to the narrow carriageway, it is not advisable to encourage examination of this site from road level.
References:	None known.

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