Debate over record-holding Big Spotty and native forest logging

Standing at 72 metres tall, with a girth of 12 metres is a Corymbia maculata - a spotted gumtree - affectionately known as Big Spotty. It's the tallest spotted gum tree in the world.

For the wedge tail eagle flying over compartment 50A in the state forest, Big Spotty is recognisable by the looming shadow it casts over the surrounding overstory such is its grandeur and prominence.

Big Spotty is a "majestic being" in a "magical spot" in North Brooman State Forest according to Lilli Pilli local Nick Hopkins. He is one of a handful of residents who knows how to navigate the Forestry backroads to the tree's location.

"It makes me feel small and part of something much bigger than myself," Mr Hopkins said.

"I feel honoured that in my neighbourhood is a world champion like Big Spotty."

However, Forestry Corporation have indicated they are going to log Compartment 50A and neighbouring sections of the forest from mid-2023.

Shoalhaven Councillors - in whose jurisdiction Big Spotty resides - voted to lobby the State Government to review logging in compartment 50A and develop plans for Big Spotty's long-term protection in April.

Forestry responded saying the tree would be safe, with an exclusion zone of a circle with 60 metre radius established around Big Spotty. This same approach was taken during the last harvesting approach in 2005.

Mr Hopkins said a 60 metre radius barrier around the base of the tree was not enough.

"The logging of the forest outside the exclusion zone will still have an impact on the forest," he said.

"It is jeopardising the integrity of this tree to log so close to it."

The compartment has been logged several times in the past, including 2005, 1978, 1966 and 1951, and Big Spotty survived all those unscathed.

A spokesperson for Forestry Corporation of NSW said a thorough ecological study was undertaken before every logging operation.

"Ahead of every operation, Forestry Corporation spends many months carrying out ecology surveys and carefully mapping to identify and protect unique environmental features and develop a detailed harvest plan," they said.

This planning process for Compartment 50A has not yet commenced.

However, Mr Hopkins would like to see Big Spotty celebrated as a tourist attraction, with a boardwalk around the tree, picnic area and walking paths.

We rode our bikes through the State Forest to reach Big Spotty, and Mr Hopkins said any logging of the compartment would damage the experience of visiting the record tree.

"It's a completely different visitor experience to cycle or walk through an unlogged forest to arrive at your picnic destination," he said.

"Coming through a logged forest is like a war zone. It's a compromised forest. It's not what you want when you come to visit wonders like Big Spotty."

The Forestry spokesperson said the organisation was open to the idea of a tourist attraction.

"Forestry Corporation manages forests for multiple uses including tourism," they said.

Such tourism facilities are "developed and managed in close partnership with local communities," they said.

"Forestry Corporation has not been approached regarding any new tourism opportunities in this location but would be happy to receive any new tourism proposals for local State forests."

For activists like Mr Hopkins, the fight for Big Spotty is symbolic of the wider push to end native logging.

It was Brooman State Forest Conservation Group member Takesa Frank who started the 2022 petition to end native forest logging which received more than 20 000 signatures and was debated in NSW Parliament.

"Big Spotty is an emblem of the campaign to end native forest logging across NSW," Mr Hopkins said.

"More and more could grow to be this size."

He said it was a "crying shame" that 100 or 200 year old trees were currently considered "fair game" to be logged and would never grow to emulate Big Spotty.

Mr Hopkins is calling on Forestry to stop logging in the entire 266 hectares of compartment 50A. The currently proposed 60-metre radius protection buffer is just 1.1 hectares.

For the new grandfather, his fight to protect forests for future generations just became a whole lot more real.

"I hope that one day I can bring [my new granddaughter] here to visit Big Spotty through an unlogged forest," he said.