❓ Ms. Stephens inquires about the impact of the Albany aquaculture zone expansion on WA's aquaculture industry, regional jobs, and the local Albany economy. The Minister responds positively, highlighting government investment and potential job creation.
AnsweredQoN 147Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AQUACULTURE — ALBANY
147. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's significant support for Western
Australia's emerging aquaculture industry.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how stage 2 of the Albany aquaculture zone and
the Albany shellfish hatchery expansion project will support the growth of WA's
aquaculture industry?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what these initiatives will mean for regional
jobs and the local economy of Albany?
147. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's significant support for Western
Australia's emerging aquaculture industry.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how stage 2 of the Albany aquaculture zone and
the Albany shellfish hatchery expansion project will support the growth of WA's
aquaculture industry?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what these initiatives will mean for regional
jobs and the local economy of Albany?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am delighted to update the member and the house on the continued investment by
the McGowan Labor government in the development of aquaculture industries in Western
Australia. In late November 2021, I joined the member for Albany to announce
that the McGowan government would invest an additional $1.8 million to deliver
an overall $2.5 million expansion and upgrade of the Albany shellfish hatchery.
I have to say that when I was down there, I never met a more hardworking member
in the regions. Everybody who we met, the
member knew. She knew the issues, knew what was happening with aquaculture ,
and has been a tremendous help in helping to deliver this project. I congratulate
the member.
Development of the Albany shellfish
hatchery has underpinned the success of the zone that was created down there
and provided the confidence necessary for investment made by industry since it
commenced operations in 2018. The expanded and upgraded hatchery will support
current and future operators in the area. That includes the recently announced
stage 2 of the Albany aquaculture zone. That zone is now made up of a 500-hectare area in Oyster Harbour,
and around 310 hectares in Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sound
combined.
In addition to this investment,
government has also funded the development of two floating nurseries, called
FLUPSYs, short for floating upweller system—Fisheries has got its own
acronyms!—at a cost of $125 000. These are very innovative. A FLUPSY is
about the size of a small boat pen but can reduce the cost of production of juvenile oysters and provide overflow capacity in
times of high demand. Not only a re we developing the industry, but also
innovation is being driven into it. I am pleased to inform the house that WA's
first FLUPSY is now operational in Albany, and the second is destined to
support ongoing research and development work at the Department of Primary
Industries and Regional Development's Hillarys facility.
Madam
Speaker, the Aquaculture Council of WA will now directly receive $200 000 a year
for the next four years to help support industry growth. It is an
exciting time for the aquaculture industry in Western Australia, with domestic
and global demand for protein increasing, and a state government committed to
helping industry grow and succeed. The McGowan government recognises that
aquaculture is a growth industry for WA, with great opportunities to diversify
our state's economy, create direct and indirect jobs, and support
coastal towns.
There is a potential to create an
additional 1 200 direct and indirect jobs in regional WA as the shellfish
aquaculture industry continues to grow. In Albany alone, the expanding industry
is already producing over seven million akoya oysters a year and has seeded
oyster farms with over 30 million rock oysters.
Madam Speaker, I still have a little
romance left in me! I have still got the spark!
The SPEAKER : I am not sure we
needed to know that!
Mr D.T. PUNCH : I am pretty confident that Albany is
going to be a great tourism destination for those weekend getaways of oysters and fine great southern wines.
So if the Minister for Tourism is listening, have a look at Albany , have
a look at what Fisheries is doing and have a look at the great opportunities of
the oyster industry.
am delighted to update the member and the house on the continued investment by
the McGowan Labor government in the development of aquaculture industries in Western
Australia. In late November 2021, I joined the member for Albany to announce
that the McGowan government would invest an additional $1.8 million to deliver
an overall $2.5 million expansion and upgrade of the Albany shellfish hatchery.
I have to say that when I was down there, I never met a more hardworking member
in the regions. Everybody who we met, the
member knew. She knew the issues, knew what was happening with aquaculture ,
and has been a tremendous help in helping to deliver this project. I congratulate
the member.
Development of the Albany shellfish
hatchery has underpinned the success of the zone that was created down there
and provided the confidence necessary for investment made by industry since it
commenced operations in 2018. The expanded and upgraded hatchery will support
current and future operators in the area. That includes the recently announced
stage 2 of the Albany aquaculture zone. That zone is now made up of a 500-hectare area in Oyster Harbour,
and around 310 hectares in Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sound
combined.
In addition to this investment,
government has also funded the development of two floating nurseries, called
FLUPSYs, short for floating upweller system—Fisheries has got its own
acronyms!—at a cost of $125 000. These are very innovative. A FLUPSY is
about the size of a small boat pen but can reduce the cost of production of juvenile oysters and provide overflow capacity in
times of high demand. Not only a re we developing the industry, but also
innovation is being driven into it. I am pleased to inform the house that WA's
first FLUPSY is now operational in Albany, and the second is destined to
support ongoing research and development work at the Department of Primary
Industries and Regional Development's Hillarys facility.
Madam
Speaker, the Aquaculture Council of WA will now directly receive $200 000 a year
for the next four years to help support industry growth. It is an
exciting time for the aquaculture industry in Western Australia, with domestic
and global demand for protein increasing, and a state government committed to
helping industry grow and succeed. The McGowan government recognises that
aquaculture is a growth industry for WA, with great opportunities to diversify
our state's economy, create direct and indirect jobs, and support
coastal towns.
There is a potential to create an
additional 1 200 direct and indirect jobs in regional WA as the shellfish
aquaculture industry continues to grow. In Albany alone, the expanding industry
is already producing over seven million akoya oysters a year and has seeded
oyster farms with over 30 million rock oysters.
Madam Speaker, I still have a little
romance left in me! I have still got the spark!
The SPEAKER : I am not sure we
needed to know that!
Mr D.T. PUNCH : I am pretty confident that Albany is
going to be a great tourism destination for those weekend getaways of oysters and fine great southern wines.
So if the Minister for Tourism is listening, have a look at Albany , have
a look at what Fisheries is doing and have a look at the great opportunities of
the oyster industry.
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