Proserpine Prawn Farm’s next step to expand operations
The Whitsunday farm’s expansion would take production to 5350 tonnes of black tiger prawns a year, and generate 60 new jobs in the region. And there are likely bigger plans ahead.
Mackay
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Tassal is moving ahead with plans to expand its Proserpine prawn farm as it seeks to reach its ambitious production targets to meet growing customer demand.
De Costi Seafoods, which owns and operates the Whitsunday farm under the Tassal Group Limited entity, currently produces about 3000 tonnes a year of black tiger prawns in 325 hectares of production ponds.
It is now seeking approvals for its stage four expansion that would increase production to about 5350 tonnes per year, and create an extra 60 jobs.
The expansion plans include the construction and operation of 210 hectares of production ponds, 59 hectares of water treatment ponds, two new pumping stations and inlet channels.
Aquaculture north of Rockhampton is expected to become a $1.34b industry by 2030.
In Mackay Isaac Whitsunday region alone, it will create more than 300 jobs and grow agriculture’s total output value by 11.5 per cent.
The bold vision to expand farms at Proserpine and Ilbilbie to meet unquenchable domestic demand for prawns, expected to reach more than 21,000 tonnes a year by 2030, will make aquaculture a lucrative industry for the Greater Whitsunday region.
Once operational, Tassal’s stage four pond would be filled with water from the Gregory River to cultivate the prawns before it was drained at harvest.
“A network of drainage channels collects production pond wastewater and conveys it to a system of treatment ponds,” the referral states.
“The treatment ponds facilitate the reduction of suspended sediment and nutrients in the treated wastewater before it is discharged.
“Treated water is discharged at the existing lawful discharge point into an unnamed tributary of Eden Lassie Creek.
“Potential environmental impacts associated with operations relate to possible changes to water quality in the unnamed tributary downstream of the discharge point.”
Tassal proposed the expansion would be done over stages, the first being 69 ponds over 112ha with the second comprising 57 ponds on 98ha.
“Construction of Stage 4a is planned to commence in July 2022 subject to obtaining Commonwealth environmental approvals,” the referral states.
“New treatment ponds of 29ha each would be constructed for stages 4a and 4b.
“The new stages are not stand-alone – they are connected to the existing stages and feed from the same intake channels, making the new stages an extension of the same activity as the existing farm.”
Proserpine Prawn Farm was granted an Environmental Authority following a Queensland Department of Environment and Science assessment.
The EA places limits on water quality and annual nutrient loads into the receiving environment from the treated wastewater discharge,” the referral states.
“The amendment to the EA for Stage 4 allowed for the development of new production areas and increased production with no increase in the permitted water quality or annual nutrient loads.”
De Costi stated the referral was submitted for stages 4a and 4b, and was in the “early concept planning phase for future major expansion to the east of the existing farm”.
“While some infrastructure would be shared between the existing farm and future stages (e.g. hatchery facilities), the future farming operations would be largely independent,” the referral states.
“It is anticipated that future stages would be assessed at EIS level through an accredited process under the Qld Assessment Bilateral Agreement, via the Office of Coordinator General.”
The Mackay region has become the engine room of growth in Queensland’s aquaculture industry, with 270 jobs and production value skyrocketing.
Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert said with more aquaculture jobs than any other region, it was clear the industry was confident investing in this area.
“More than 4300 tonnes of seafood valued at $73.2 million was produced in the Mackay region last financial year, supporting 270 full-time equivalent jobs,” she said.
“This industry still has a lot of upside in the Mackay region and plenty of great opportunities to come.”
Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said the total value of the Queensland aquaculture industry had increased by 17.4 per cent, with the value of production rising to a record high of $193.5m in 2020-21.
“Total aquaculture production increased by 24 per cent from 9535.8 tonnes to 11824.6 tonnes and this was driven by the prawn and barramundi sectors,” he said
“The relative importance of aquaculture to Queensland’s total fisheries production has also increased, from 51.5 per cent in 2019-20 to 55.3 per cent in 2020-21.
“This is an outstanding result for the aquaculture sector which now directly employs more than 786 Queenslanders on a full-time basis.”
The latest statistical analysis shows the most valuable aquaculture sectors continue to be prawn and barramundi respectively, with each recording an increase in production tonnes and value last financial year.
Prawn production went up by 28.1 per cent, from 6245.2 tonnes in 2019-20 to 8002.7 tonnes in 2020-21, while barramundi production grew 19.7 per cent with 3477.9 tonnes sold compared with 2904.4 tonnes the previous year.
Oyster production increased 57 per cent and production value rose to $700,000.
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