Executive summary

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Already 30% of seafood consumed worldwide is produced through aquaculture.  According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation, this is projected to rise to 40% by the year 2010, as a result of increasing demand for seafood which wild capture fisheries can no longer meet.

While many types of aquaculture are still in their infancy in Australia, the same global trends that are driving aquaculture internationally are evident here.  As the total value of Australian fisheries production has tended to stabilise over the last five years, the contribution of aquaculture has almost trebled between 1991-92 and 2001-02.  Australian aquaculture in 2003-04 was valued at $732 million and represented 30 percent of the total value of Australian fisheries production and the industry is expected to increase in size four-fold to $2.5 billion over the next decade.

New South Wales is poised to capture a significant proportion of this projected growth.  A growing number of viable aquaculture investment opportunities are being generated by the drive to satisfy increasing domestic and export demand, and by the competitive advantages (both natural and man-made) which this State offers.  Located largely in a temperate zone, New South Wales is not subject to the climatic extremes of many tropical and sub-tropical regions. Its coastal waters are not normally subject to cyclonic conditions.

Compared with many overseas locations, New South Wales offers a clean growing environment for most forms of aquaculture.  It does not suffer from a number of diseases that have caused losses among aquaculture industries overseas.  Strict national and State-level controls have been established to maintain our freedom from some of the worst exotic diseases.

New South Wales also offers reliable supplies of good quality water.  It does not have problems with heavy industrial pollution, and controls are in place to protect estuaries, coastal areas and groundwater systems from contamination by sewage, agricultural pesticides and fertilisers and urban runoff.

Both industry participants and the NSW Government’s regulatory agencies are very conscious of the need to ensure that the development of the aquaculture industry in New South Wales proceeds in a manner that does not jeopardise its ecological sustainability.  Industry and government continue to invest heavily in research, technology and management practices to provide for the sustainable growth of this sensitive industry.  Both recognise the environmental benefits arising from aquaculture, as well as the environmental qualities aquaculture needs for it to operate successfully to ensure the continuing high quality of its products.  Other countries have shown a high regard for and interest in New South Wales’ performance in this area.

The Hunter and Central Coast Sustainable Aquaculture Strategy applies to three types of intensive land based aquaculture, namely:

• Estuarine and marine pond and raceway aquaculture for endemic species;
• Freshwater pond and raceway aquaculture;
• Tank based high intensity recirculation aquaculture (saline or fresh water).

The Strategy is made up of two interlinked components – a best management component and an integrated approvals component so that projects can be established and operated in an efficient sustainable manner.  The best management component provides the basis for the Aquaculture Industry Development Plans (AIDP) for Land-based Aquaculture on the Hunter and Central Coast under the provisions of the Fisheries Management Act 1994.  The AIDP identifies best management for business planning, species selection, site selection and design, planning and operation of the facility and includes the performance requirements for relevant environmental regulations.

Based on best practice in the AIDP a “Project Profile Analysis” has been established to provide an up-front preliminary assessment of the likely level of risk to the environment from the proposal.  This profile analysis provides the basis for streamlining approvals.  Lower level risk proposals will only require a Statement of Environmental Effect to demonstrate that they comply with the best practice.  Only those developments that have been identified as high risk in the profile analysis will require an environmental impact statement (EIS).  This project profile analysis will be established through the State Environmental Planning Policy No 62 – Sustainable Aquaculture.

To streamline approvals required by a number of Acts or Regulations, the Strategy provides for integrated approvals.  The approvals process will be managed so that approvals are obtained in a timely manner and the conditions are consistent with the provisions in the AIDP.

The Strategy recognises the importance of the role of Department of Primary Industries in extension and compliance.  In addition to Department of Primary Industries Officers being available to provide up-to-date information as a result of research programs and advice on best practice in aquaculture management, they will be in the front line in ensuring best practice is followed and approvals are complied with.

The Strategy is designed to assist investors in simplifying the development approval process and by providing appropriate support to ensure that the aquaculture enterprises are established and operated in a sustainable manner.