Commission of Enquiry Into Effects of Pesticides – February 1966
p61 “Evidence was received concerning the tobacco growing areas along the Ovens, King and Buffalo Rivers that weekly spraying with persistent insecticides and fungicides is a routine practice and that a proportion of the spraying is done by aircraft. Fish have been killed on occasions when pesticides have reached the river…”
Pesticides Review Committee Minutes 15th Meeting 1/3/68: Correspondance (k) Secretary Premiers Department – re a letter from A.V. Bradbury MLC with an enclosed letter from the King River Improvement Trust stating that the dumping of pesticides in streams is a problem that can only be overcome by education and publicity.
State Laboratories Memo for Director of Agriculture 5/12/68: “… information accumulated has shown residue status in … specific pesticides in such water as the Ovens River…”
Pesticides Review Committee Minutes 48th Meeting 20/8/71: Item 31(b) Wangaratta Fly Fishing Club. Letter received on 23rd February concerning fish kills in the King River at Chestnut. It appeared that local tobacco growers were responsible due to the sprays used on their crops… Report on Fish Kills in North East Victoria…”Some 23 fish kills were investigated…”