Aquaculture project opens job floodgate

MORE than 130 construction jobs are set to be created at Guthalungra, near Bowen, as work on a large aquaculture project ramps up next year.

Contractor Shamrock Civil told a State Government Townsville Industry Breakfast the project had been in the planning stage for some time but was now almost ready to begin. Shamrock Civil North Queensland operations manager Clifton Huff said the project was being undertaken by the MBD group which already owned and operated a prawn farm at Ayr.

But the Guthalungra farm will be much bigger, comprising 250 ponds, each about 1ha in size, on a site near the coast, growing mostly prawns but also fish, including cobia.

It required the construction of the ponds, the installation of more than 5km of 1m diameter pipe, high voltage electricity lines, processing and filtration facilities. About two million cubic metres of earth needs to be shifted.

“The aim is to have the processing facilities, the pipeline, filtration system, settlement ponds and at least 32 ponds in place by next November,” Mr Huff said.

MBD, which has worked with James Cook University in algae research and development, acquired the assets of Pacific Reef Fisheries in 2017.

The assets included an existing 98ha prawn farm at Ayr and the Guthalungra development site about 50km north of Bowen.

MBD has developed a system that can recycle or safely return water to the ocean by using nutrient- rich aquaculture water to grow seaweed.

The seaweed cleans the water as well as provides a byproduct.

Mr Huff said Shamrock Civil had been working with MBD for several years, helping them with design and construction plans.

He said early works were scheduled for February with construction to start in May.

The value of work was estimated at about $ 130 million with Shamrock Civil requiring between 100 and 120 workers.

More people would be required for development of the processing facilities and electricity transmission line.

Once operational, the farm would create between 60 and 100 jobs.

Mr Huff said people or companies wanting to be involved in construction should be ready to respond in the new year. The project will be built in stages with completion expected in 2022- 23.