TASMANIAN company SFM Hydrowood has embarked on an Australian first by logging trees that have been submerged in Lake Pieman for more than 20 years.
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SFM Hydrowood developed the project with a $5 million grant from the federal government and officially launched operations at MONA on Friday.
Heavy forestry machinery, including a purpose-built, 26-metre telescopic arm, will bring 1000 hectares of underwater forest to the surface.
Architects, furniture makers, designers and boat builders around the world will be able to use the range of premium and ultra-premium wood extracted, including blackhearted sassafras, huon pine and myrtle.
The project began preliminary operations at the end of October, and has already led to Wynwood sawmill employing new staff to process the specialty timber.
Lake Pieman is the first place in Australia and one of a handful in the world where underwater logging is practised.
Braddon MHR Brett Whiteley said on Tuesday the project was "the epitome of innovation".
"It's marketing a product that wasn't even visible to the naked eye," he said.
Hydrowood timber has already gained international interest, from yacht makers in Monaco to furniture makers across Europe and America.
"Bringing this out of the wild West Coast is really appealing to designers and architects," SFM managing director Andrew Morgan said.
"It's come from the West Coast of Tasmania, from underwater."
It's not just the story that makes Hydrowood so coveted, but also the qualities that rare timber gains from being submerged for so long. Each piece of timber that comes from the lake has a distinct colour and marking that makes it ideal for furniture designers looking for unique material to make products.
Scientific studies are still being done to determine how the timber absorbs the lake's minerals.
The wood could go from the bottom of Lake Pieman to being a bookcase in as little as four months, Mr Morgan said.
After excavation, wood is graded and sent to Wynwood sawmill.
The longest part of the process involves drying the wood in a kiln. It will then be sold to buyers around the world through an online auction.
It was a "second chance for some of these species", Mr Morgan said.
The SFM Hydrowood project has been 18 months in the making.
Tasmanian shipbuilders were used to construct the harvest and log barge, which was a crucial part of the operation.
A multi-beam sonar and camera will be attached to the telescopic arm to help drivers locate and harvest trees.
Mr Morgan expects it will take five years to log the lake. After that, he has his eyes set on other lakes in the area.
But, for now, the focus is on extracting and exporting some of the finest wood in the world.
Originally published as Trees to re-emerge from lake by The Advocate.