$10M AVALON FISH FARM
Avalon aquaculture site would create 50 jobs
A PROPOSED new multimillion dollar aquaculture facility at Avalon would create 50 new jobs.
A planning permit application for the development, estimated to cost $9.75 million, has been lodged with the City of Greater Geelong.
The Avalon Rd site, which was formerly used as a salt field, is anticipated to produce more than 2000 tonnes of fish, initially barramundi, per annum, according to the planning documents. Jobs created at the site would include marine biologists; lab technicians; fish handling personnel; equipment monitoring and handling; feed receiving; waste removal; transport; mussel handling and packaging; and administration.
Twenty of the new jobs would be onsite and 30 at Lara in a new processing facility, the planning report says.
The proposed facility site has a total land area of 97.8ha, according to the planning report.
“(It) forms part of the former Lara Salt Fields that were operated by Cheetham Salt from approximately 1950 to the late 1990s,” the planning report said.
“The site was used as solar salt field, which produced salt through the pumping of sea water from Corio Bay into a series of man-made condenser ponds and shallow ‘crystalliser’ pans that remain across part of the site today.”
“As a result of its former use the site is highly modified, and much of the infrastructure remains on site, including the former ponds, channels and drains, making it attractive for readaptation for land-based aquaculture.”
Aqua Partners is behind the proposed facility.
It is described as a “a global sustainable land-based aquaculture company producing premium quality seafood” on its website.
“The proposed aquaculture facility is a land-based facility used for the production of fish, mainly barramundi, salmon and kingfish,” the planning report says.
“In addition to marine fish farming mussels or algae will be grown in the 20 refurbished salt pans adjoining the development area as part of our sustainable development process. Seawater will be drawn in from Corio Bay via the existing infrastructure, and fresh potable water from mains along Avalon Rd.”