New South Wales

Policy and Strategic Direction - The State Government approach to ISA development

ISA Sector Development Activities and ISA Investment Information

ISA Contacts - Who can you talk to for technical, business or licensing assistance

State Research & Development - What research has been undertaken, is underway, or planned for the future

Commercial Production - What commercial activities are underway

Planning and Approvals – Planning and licensing requirements

Policy and Strategic Direction

The NSW State Government has made a commitment to support R&D to identify and develop commercial ISA opportunities. A Senate Committee report on aquaculture led to the preparation of a State Aquaculture Policy and the allocation of funding for an Aquaculture Initiative. Through this initiative, the NSW Government, in partnership with Murray Irrigation Ltd, funded a $1m project to establish the Inland Saline Aquaculture Research Centre (ISARC) at Wakool. The centre was opened in May 2002.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries - "Developing Commercial Inland Saline Aquaculture in Australia: Part 1 & 2 ", identifies developing aquaculture utilising inland saline waters” as an objective:

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/science/scientific_outputs/aquaculture/s_inland_saline_p1

In 2002 a NSW Select Committee on Salinity identified the potential for ISA and in 2003 a Salinity Strategy was prepared that recommended increased funding for inland saline aquaculture R&D at ISARC, Wakool.

NSW Fisheries has targeted ISA research at the utilisation of saline water from salt interception schemes for commercial aquaculture production. NSW has adopted the position that ISA R&D should assist in the development of large scale commercially viable operations, taking the view that small scale aquaculture of any form is difficult to justify economically.

ISA Sector Development Activities and ISA Investment Information

Murray Irrigation Ltd (MIL) is the NSW commercial partner in the Inland Saline Aquaculture Research Centre. MIL has committed considerable resources to the ISA project and understands the risks associated with the pilot project underway.

http://www.murrayirrigation.com.au/include/file.php?oid=2478895

State Government aquaculture investment Links:

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/aqu/gen/investment.htm

http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/key.asp?cid=157&subCid=159%20

ISA Contacts

Contact the ISA project manager:
Dr Geoffrey Allen
Principal Investigator
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Ph: 02 4982 1232
Fax: 02 4982 1107
Email: geoff.allan@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Page 157 Gooley, G & Gavine, F. 2003, Integrated Agri Aquaculture Systems – A Resource Handbook for Australian Industry Development RIRDC Publication No 03/012 Project No MFR-2A (03-012)

State Research and Development

A comprehensive list of NSW ISA related R&D can be found in the Research and Development Inventory . The following reports provide a background to the research and development undertaken in NSW:

Allan, G.L. 2004, Description of Facilities and R&D Activities, Inland Saline Aquaculture Research Centre, Wakool, NSW. Development of Industrial Scale Inland Saline Aquaculture: Coordination & Communication of R&D in Australia. NSW Fisheries.

A description of research facilities and a summary of the R&D required before commercial production is undertaken. Unexplained mortalities during trials require investigation, as does adequate temperature control.

Doroudi, M., Allan, G.L. and Fielder, D.S. 2004, Two-year R&D Program on Inland Saline Aquaculture 2001-2003 Prepared for NSW Fisheries, Murray Irrigation Ltd and Department of State and Regional Development.

A review of the two years of research undertaken at Wakool. It was found that suitably treated water from the interception scheme was chemically adequate for the production of a variety of aquaculture products. However seasonal and diurnal temperature fluctuations had a significant impact on growth and potential pond production. Temperature control is required.

Fielder, D.S., Bardsley, W.J. & Allan, G.L. 2001, Survival and growth of Australian snapper, Pagrus auratus in saline groundwater from inland New South Wales D. Aquaculture 210, 73-90, 2001.

Saline water from Wakool interception scheme was used to successfully grow snapper in experimental tank conditions. However Potassium had to be added to the water to overcome deficiencies.

Fielder, D. S. and Bardsley, W. J. 1999. A preliminary study on the effects of salinity on growth and survival of mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus larvae and juveniles. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 30(3), 380-387.

Commercial Production

There are no commercial ISA operations in NSW. Wakool is an experimental facility. The researchers and commercial partners Murray Irrigation Ltd are considering the next stage of its development. Before a pilot operation is established a comprehensive business plan and financial analysis will be prepared.

There is an experimental salt water recirculation system in currently being established at Maitland to trial Mulloway.

Planning and Approvals

Extensive information is available on the planning and licensing requirements for aquaculture operations in NSW. Most of the information can be found on the NSW Department of Primary Industries web site. Following is a list of link to the relevant pages:

Aquaculture Permit Guidelines for Land Based Aquaculture farms:

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/aqu/fw/pdf/Land-based-Aqua-Guide.pdf

A significant policy position adopted by the NSW Government is that there is to be no water discharge from inland aquaculture facilities. This means that inland aquaculture operations in NSW will be restricted to recirculation systems or low flow systems, or similar to Wakool, associated with an interception scheme.

NSW – Inland Saline Aquaculture Research Centre (ISARC).

The need for an evaluation of the potential for using saline groundwater in aquaculture culminated in the construction of the Inland Saline Aquaculture Research Centre (ISARC) near Wakool in the southern edge of the Murray Darling Basin. 

The Inland Saline Aquaculture Research Centre in NSW

In the two years since research at the new ISARC commenced, survival and growth trials have been conducted with silver perch (a salt-tolerant, native freshwater fish), mulloway (an estuarine fish), black tiger prawns (a marine prawn tolerant of a wide range of salt concentrations) and rainbow trout. 

(left to right): Silver Perch; Mulloway; Tiger Prawns.

Silver perch survive and grow in water of salinity at or below 10 mg/L without potassium adjustment, trout grow at salinities up to those equivalent to full strength sea water and provided potassium is added for mulloway and prawns, survival and growth in tanks is similar to that in water with salinity adjusted using ocean salts. 

Trout survival and growth over the period April to November was excellent and equivalent to that recorded in freshwater raceway systems.

For further information on the project download the NSW ISA demonstration facility overview 

Contact the site officer:
Mr Grant Webster
Fisheries Technician
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Ph: 03 5887 3366
Fax: 03 5887 3348
Email: grant.webster@dpi.nsw.gov.au