Justine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to recognise Hydrowood, a recent finalist in the Australian Forest Products Association Innovation in Business Awards. Hydrowood is a uniquely Tasmanian business located in my electorate at Lake Pieman on the west coast of Tasmania. Hydrowood recovers hidden timber from the floor of a Hydro Tasmania impoundment, which is Lake Pieman. Lake Pieman was filled in 1986 and the forest was covered in water, where it remained until today. Timber is harvested with a water-proof harvester that goes down to the depth of up to 28 metres in Lake Pieman. Hydrowood's sonar technology also allows it to identify the species of timber being harvested, saving an enormous amount of time and effort.

The timber that they harvest is uniquely Tasmanian—Huon pine, blackwood, celery top pine, sassafras and western beech. Nearly all of these species are in short supply, very valuable and highly desirable. These are high-value, high-demand timbers for the specialty timber market. I know these are exported around the world and should appear, and can appear, in just about every Australian embassy in this globe. Also, Hydrowood has a partnership with Oakdale Industries, an Australian disability enterprise, to deliver western beech flooring to the national market. In announcing this partnership, Oakdale's CEO said the partnership was 'a natural fit, as we both believe in hidden potential'.

Hydrowood is truly a world leader in innovative business. Its success demonstrates the foresight of the former state and federal Labor governments, who knew that Tasmania's forestry industry needed to restructure and to be more innovative into the future. Hydrowood was funded with a $5 million grant through the Tasmanian forestry agreement. I do note the irony of the cavalcade of coalition MPs lining up to praise Hydrowood; yet, the same MPs were opposed to the very agreement from which it was funded.

This business is just one of many innovative forestry businesses in my electorate. Britton Brothers and Ta Ann in Smithton and Specialty Veneers in Somerset are also doing amazing work as they value add to Tasmania's forest products. As Australia continues to be a net forest importer, we on this side of the House remain determined to support greater innovation and investment in our local timber industry. Projects like Hydrowood are an example of how market demand can be met with government support and innovation.