CLEAR-CUT

A few weeks ago Councillor Brett Steele brought a motion to the Shoalhaven City Council to write to the state government urging them not to rezone Brooman State Forest – the home of Big Spotty.

This is extremely dissapointing, and is in stark contrast to the views of the local community. The motion was littered with false facts, including completely missing that over 20,000 people have signed our petition to protect Brooman State Forest and local MP Liza Butler has been lobbying the state government to protect the area.

https://steveprothero.substack.com/p/shoalhaven-council-motion-on-brooman

If you havn’t already, please write to your local MP to advocate for Brooman State Forest and transition away from Native Forest Logging.

Together with the Nature Conservation Council, we launched a new campaign for the Big Spotty Flora Reserve to preserve all of North Brooman State Forest and protect Big Spotty The tallest Spotted Gum on Earth – from the effects of native forest logging.

Trees live in communities and the science is clear. Giant Trees (and all trees for that matter) need the surrounding forest to;
– buffer high wind and storms
– stabilise soil around vast root systems
– maintain cool, humid microclimate built over centuries
– support underground fungal networks that share nutrients and resources
– regulate water cycling and keeps soil moist
– sustain biodiversity that helps manage pests and diseases
– reduces the intensity of bushfires by retaining moisture and canopy cover.

In the first 4 days over 200,000 watched the video and we received over 12,000 signatures, showing strong community support.

Watch the video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umkbdCkck2g

Sign the petition – https://www.nature.org.au/protect_big_spotty_forest

This shows incredible appetite for Clear-Cut, as we move into production.

Over the past year our project has evolved from a crowdfunding campaign to save the tallest Spotted Gum in the world (Big Spotty) to a multi-faceted dissection of the misinformation surrounding native forest logging in NSW and Australia wide.

Since the rollout of the initial ‘Save Big Spotty’ campaign we have refined our pitch deck, changed the title of the film to Clear-Cut, developed the creative arc of the story, finessed the satirical tone of the film to engage those outside of the ‘greenie’ audience and identified key characters who will bring the story to life.

Whilst developing the project, we have started production sporadically as we work with our partners to put evidence-based research front and centre for the NSW Forestry Industry Action Plan.

This year we have:

– Used thermal drones to collect data on nocturnal species surrounding Big Spotty.
– Recorded footage of both healthy and degraded Native Forests in NSW.
– Recorded soundscapes that show the vast difference in biodiversity inherent within forests at different stages of life.

Andy works to keep south coast communities involved and informed on the latest updates relating to native forest logging policy and has given several local community talks on Clear-Cut and the deforestation industry.

On top of our existing partnerships with Paddy Pallin and Treading Lightly, we recently cemented a new partnership with WWF Australia.

The Minns government has confirmed its long-awaited Great Koala National Park, announcing it will add 176,000 hectares of state forest to existing reserves in mid-north New South Wales to create one of the largest national parks in the state and protect more than 12,000 koalas. This historic victory is a step in the right direction. Let’s hope it highlights the need for widespread adherence to Australia’s nature laws and trickles down to the many other areas of native forest still being logged.

The Environment Protection Authority has charged state-owned Forestry Corporation of NSW with 29 offences relating to the breach of biodiversity laws in the Tallaganda State Forest, east of Canberra.

An EPA spokesperson said it was alleged that between August 2021 and January 2024 that Forestry NSW conducted operations in seven areas without properly identifying and protecting habitat for the endangered greater glider.

Andrew Kaineder (Stitch Films) played an integral role in the initial investigation, exposing these biodiversity crimes at Tallaganda. He worked alongside WWF to document the state of habitat for greater gliders in areas which had been recently logged and provided photographic evidence that Forestry had been recklessly damaging the habitat of this protected species by failing to properly search for and identify glider den trees before harvesting and failing to replace hollow-bearing trees that were damaged or felled. These alleged offences were laid under coastal integrated logging rules, the Forestry Act and the Biodiversity Conservation Act.

With the amazing support of the South Coast community we exceeded our crowdfunding campaign goal by almost $10,000!!!

In total we raised $24,613 through the Pozible platform over 30 days. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of artists and businesses who donated some incredible rewards. Everything from veggie boxes to an incredible exclusive one off artwork.

For more information and to check out the campaign please visit the link below.
https://www.pozible.com/project/help-save-big-spotty

Over 2 days in the bush and with the help of Steve Pearce from The Tree Projects, Sam Hardingham from Everyday Arbor, Hayden Griffith from Lost Compass Films and Photographer Oliver Risi we were able to climb and measure Big Spotty confirming it as the tallest known Spotted Gum in the world.

The tree was measured by dropping a tape measure from the highest point of the tree, and read at a designated midpoint at the base. This allows a standardised reading of giant trees as often the bases are on uneven and sloped ground.

Standing at 70.93m it is the 3rd tallest tree in NSW. For more information visit The Tree Projects website. https://www.thetreeprojects.com/nsws-tallest-trees

Currently, Forestry Corporation are only protecting this globally significant tree with a 50m buffer zone. Which is equivalent to approximately 1.1hectare. It needs and deserves more!

The proposed logging of the forest surrounding this tree is the catalyst for filmmaker Andrew Kaineder to begin looking into the destructive and often cowboy practices of native forest logging in Australia.

We partnered with local South Coast brewery Dangerous Ale to create a beer that raises awareness on the battle to save Big Spotty – The tallest known Spotted Gum in the world.

$1 from every can was donated to the Clear-Cut film fund and every can featured a QR code directed to a website that gave people information on the film and native forest logging on the South Coast of NSW.

On November 3rd, 2024 we hosted a community event at The Milton Hotel to share with the South Coast community the impacts of native forest logging and our extensive the operations are on the South Coast of NSW. Including the need to protect the tallest known Spotted Gum in the World – Big Spotty. Located in North Brooman State Forest.

Dangerous Ales donated a keg of beer, with every dollar raised donated to the Clear-Cut film fund.

With the public pressure mounted from our successful crowdfunding campaign, logging of compartments 50A and 49A, the home of Big Spotty has been rescheduled to 2027. While this is positive news, there are still 7 active compartments on the South Coast of NSW and the timing of proposed logging is subject to change at any moment.

We are pushing for permanent protection of this globally significant tree and the forest around it!