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Port Stephens, NSW Modification of the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease and Huon Lease, Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. Referral of proposed action Project Title: Modification of the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease and Huon Lease, Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. 1 Summary of proposed action 1.1 Short description NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Huon Aquaculture Group Limited (Huon Aquaculture) have entered into a research partnership and are seeking approval from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment to modify the Pisces (DA No. 81-04-01 & Modification) and NSW DPI (SSI-5118) fish farming consents in Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. NSW DPI on being granted consent for the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease (MARL) (SSI-5118), held an EOI process to obtain a research partner for the activities on the MARL. Huon Aquaculture was appointed as the research partner and it subsequently purchased the former Pisces Lease. The proposed physical modifications include relocating the two leases further offshore into deeper water, increase the number and size of pens, expand the area of the leases to accommodate mooring lines and add a permanently moored feed storage barge to each lease site. The proposed modification does not seek to alter any environmental monitoring and assessment requirements or marine fauna mitigation measures as outlined in the NSW DPI (SSI-5118) consent. However, it does seek to update the Pisces (DA No. 81-04-01 & Modification) consent conditions to be consistent with those in the NSW DPI (SSI-5118) consent. The aquaculture engineering technologies currently used in the Australian aquaculture industry have evolved significantly since the Pisces and NSW DPI approved aquaculture farms were lodged for assessment. The proposed modifications would allow for the use of current leading edge technology and farming practices, as well as improve the capacity of the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease (MARL) in conjunction with the Huon Lease to provide commercially relevant research results. The proposed modifications do not change the infrastructure type (sea pens), is contained within the same marine park zone and existing environmental monitoring and assessment requirements are to be standardised across both the MARL and Huon Lease. It is considered that the proposed action is consistent with the referral of the MARL to EPBC referrals in 2013. 1.2 Latitude and Marine Aquaculture Research Lease longitude 1A 152° 16' 54.055" E 32° 38' 50.367" S 1B 152° 17' 9.934" E 32° 39' 3.794" S 1C 152° 16' 41.993" E 32° 39' 27.113" S 1D 152° 16' 25.894" E 32° 39' 13.496" S Huon Lease 2D 152° 15' 32.896" E 32° 39' 59.018" S 2C 152° 15' 48.548" E 32° 40' 13.010" S 2B 152° 16' 16.944" E 32° 39' 49.321" S 2A 152° 16' 0.623" E 32° 39' 35.701" S NSW DPI & Huon Aquaculture - May 2016 1 Modification of the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease and Huon Lease, Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. 1.3 Locality and property description The proposed modification is to relocate the current leases approximately 3.1 km (Huon Lease) and 4.7 km (MARL) from their original lease locations in Providence Bay (Please refer to Figure 1). The proposed MARL and Huon Lease are located within the same Habitat Protection Zone of the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park and over Crown Land (State) within State waters in Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. 1.4 Size of the development MARL = 62 hectares footprint or work area Huon Lease = 62 hectares (hectares) 1.5 Street address of the site Offshore – NSW State waters, Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. 1.6 Lot description N/A Offshore – State waters of Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW 1.7 Local Government Area and Council contact (if known) N/A No local government area over the subject site 1.8 Time frame The MARL has consent for a period of five years from the time of granting of an aquaculture lease under the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994. In accordance with the Fisheries Management Act 1994, the Huon Lease is let for a maximum term of 15 years. The lessee is entitled to the first renewal for another term of 15 years and subsequent renewals, subject to conditions. 1.9 Alternatives to Yes proposed action 1.10 Alternative time No frames etc 1.11 State assessment Yes (See item 2.5) 1.12 Component of larger No action 1.13 Related No actions/proposals 1.14 Australian No Government funding The proponent for the MARL is NSW Department of Primary Industries in association with their research partner – Huon Aquaculture. The funding for the MARL project will be NSW Government, private sector funding and Australian Government research funding (Australian Seafood CRC, Fisheries Research Development Corporation). The proponent for the Huon Lease is Huon Aquaculture. 1.15 Great Barrier Reef No Marine Park NSW DPI & Huon Aquaculture - May 2016 2 Modification of the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease and Huon Lease, Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW. 2 Detailed description of proposed action 2.1 Description of proposed action Objectives and Rationale of the Proposed Action The principal objective of the MARL is to provide NSW DPI and Huon Aquaculture with the opportunity to extend successful marine hatchery research to its next stage in an offshore commercially relevant sea pen trial. This objective is still relevant to the proposed modification sites. A listing of the research objectives can be found in Section 3.2 (page 11) – Principal Objectives and Rationale of the Proposal of the accompanying MARL EIS and Section 2.2 (page 3) – Justification of the accompanying Modification Application. The principal objective of the proposed Huon Lease is to conduct a commercial finfish farming operation to support future demands of food security for the State and reduce Australia’s reliance on wild fish stocks. The interactions of the activities between the commercial lease and the MARL will further enhance the research to be undertaken as part of the MARL activities. The aquaculture engineering technologies currently used in the Australian aquaculture industry have evolved significantly since the Pisces and NSW DPI approved aquaculture farms were lodged for assessment. The proposed modifications would allow for the use of current leading edge technology and farming practices which would enhance the objectives of the MARL to provide commercially relevant research for the development of a sustainable and viable aquaculture industry in NSW. Worldwide and in Australia, aquaculture developments are providing economic benefit through sustainable production of quality seafood. Aquaculture has the potential to create employment, reduce harvesting pressure on natural fish populations and produce seafood of the highest quality. Demand for high quality, locally produced seafood is increasing in Australia at an average annual rate of 3% between 2000–01 and 2012–13, from 248 515 tonnes to 345 326 tonnes. Domestic seafood supply over this period grew by less than consumption, at an average annual rate of 1%. Imports of seafood increased to fill the gap between demand and available domestic supply at an average annual rate of 4% between 2000–01 and 2012–13. In 2012–13 imports accounted for 66% of Australia’s total apparent seafood consumption. Australia wide the sea pen aquaculture sector has grown significantly over the past decade and is located in Tasmania (Salmon and Trout), South Australia (Tuna and Kingfish) and Western Australia (Barramundi and Kingfish). The largest contributor to Australian aquaculture production in 2012–13 was salmonids, which made up 54% of total aquaculture production volume and 48% of the value. Farmed tuna is the second largest contributor by value and volume to Australian aquaculture production, which accounted for 15% of the total value of Australian aquaculture production in 2012–13. The value of farmed tuna production rose by $4 million (2%) between 2011–12 and 2012–13, to $154 million. In addition, there will be significant flow-on benefits from the purchase of materials, services and labour associated with the operation of the MARL and Huon Lease in Providence Bay. In South Australia for example, each job generated directly from the aquaculture industry is thought to generate an additional 1.52 -1.57 jobs in the rest of the state (EconSearch, 2009). Site Description The proposed modification is to relocate the current leases within the same Habitat Protection Zone of the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park to approximately 7.5 km (Huon Lease) and 9.1 km (MARL) north east of Hawks Nest, NSW. The proposed MARL and Huon Lease sites are located over an area of soft sediment that is dominated by fine to coarse grained sand with a depth of about 38 to 43 metres. Details of the site are contained within Section 6 (page 55) – The Existing Coastal Environment of the accompanying MARL EIS. Any details of the sites which have changed due to the relocation of the leases since the MARL EIS was submitted are within Section 5.1.1 (page 17) – Relocation of Sites, Section 8.1.1 (page 43) – Habitat Loss and Shading of the accompanying Modification Application and Section 2.3.10 (page 49) – Site Selection and Lease Tenure of the accompanying Submissions Report. Lease Sites The modification lease sites are to be located approximately 3.1 km (Huon Lease) and 4.7 km (MARL) from their original lease locations in Providence Bay. Please refer to Figures 1 (page 12) of the accompanying Modification Application. The leases are proposed to be increased to 62 ha to accommodate the additional length of mooring infrastructure in the deeper water. NSW DPI & Huon Aquaculture - May 2016 3 Modification of the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease and Huon Lease, Providence Bay, Port Stephens, NSW.
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