Lower Eyre Peninsula Aquaculture Zone

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:13): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister update the chamber about the Lower Eyre Peninsula aquaculture zone public call?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for his question. Last year, the state government introduced the aquaculture zones Lower Eyre Peninsula policy 2023, the LEP aquaculture zone policy, which identifies permitted aquaculture zones, public call areas and exclusion zones and specifies prescribed criteria to be taken into account by the independent body that assesses applications for aquaculture leases, the Aquaculture Tenure Allocation Board (ATAB), within the Lower Eyre Peninsula aquaculture zone.

South Australian aquaculture has an incredible reputation, both nationally and internationally, and produces some of the most sought-after seafood in the world. Indeed, 20,673 tonnes of seafood was produced by the state's aquaculture sector in 2022-23 at a value of $264.4 million to the state's economy.

The LEP zone is one of the key drivers behind those incredible numbers and our state's aquaculture industry more broadly, with southern bluefin tuna, kingfish, oysters, mussels, seaweed and so much more. It is an industry that is of particular significance to our state and continues to grow.

There is so much more that is thriving in the established aquaculture industry that is already in place in the pristine waters off the coast of Port Lincoln and beyond. The changes introduced as part of the LEP aquaculture zone policy 2023 included opportunities for greater capacity for production of aquaculture species, such as tuna, oysters, kingfish, mussels and more, but also in emerging aquaculture sectors, such as algae and seaweed, which are predicted to grow quickly, hence the importance of having a modernised policy that reflects the confidence and willingness that we have seen from industry in establishing these sectors in South Australia.

More than 6,000 hectares of water is now available to be leased within the LEP zone for aquaculture activities. With a public call for applications opening on 28 October, there has been strong interest from industry and others to access water in this zone. The applications will close on 12 January 2025, at which time the ATAB will review applications against the set criteria and make its recommendations to me for approval.

The public call will assist in growing the aquaculture industry further, particularly in the Port Lincoln region, which is already synonymous with seafood, providing the region with jobs and pathways that continue to evolve within the sector over the years, bringing about both economic and social benefits to the region. I look forward to seeing the sector further realise its potential and in the process continue to make South Australians proud of our incredible seafood industry.