Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone
We are inviting applications from interested persons for aquaculture licences and leases within the Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone. Fisheries intends to begin considering applications received on or before 10 November 2017, with a view to decisions being made as soon as practicable after that date.
The objects of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) enable the allocation of resources to achieve the optimum benefits to the State and community.
To ensure the sites within the zone are allocated properly, the process to assess applications received will require consideration of individual applications according to the provisions of s.92 and s.97 of the FRMA, according to merit, and may also require consideration of applications competing for the same or overlapping areas.
How to apply
For details on the application process and instructions on how to apply, please refer to the following document:
Aquaculture licence application
You can now apply for an aquaculture licence online. Before you can start, you will need to request a personal account, below. A personal account enables an applicant to:
submit an application and correspond with us in a workflow-based environment;
check the status of an application and know its progress at any point in time; and
have better user experience.
Request an online personal account
Email us at aquaculture@dpird.wa.gov.au with the following details:
name;
company name;
email address; and
contact phone number.
Once your request is received, your account will be set up by us and you will then be able to apply for a licence online.
For information on how to use the online form, refer to the 
Online Form User Guide.
We are currently working to include lease applications within the same forum; in the meantime, you are able to download the lease application form, below.
Aquaculture lease application forms
An aquaculture licence authorises a specific aquaculture activity in a defined site, whereas a lease provides tenure for the specified area of land or water. An aquaculture lease doesn’t authorise the use of the leased area without an aquaculture licence.
Proposals in coastal waters or areas vested in the Minister for Fisheries are required to be accompanied by an application for an aquaculture lease as well as the relevant additional information sheet.
When making your application, you should also ensure that you are familiar with the Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone and the background documents listed below.
Lodging an application
Licence applications can be lodged online, as outlined above.
Lease applications and additional information may be submitted electronically to aquaculture@dpird.wa.gov.au in MS Word format or pdf.
The Department will begin assessment of your application upon receipt of your electronic application form; however, we will not be able to proceed with the official consideration process until we have received the signature page with the original signatures of all relevant parties.
Additionally, we will not be able to proceed until we receive confirmation that payment has been made (that is, a receipt or internal notification from our Licensing Branch).
About the Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone
An existing farm operates within the boundaries of the Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone. The site occupies 800 hectares out of the total zone area of 3,000 hectares and accordingly that area is not available for licence and lease applications. Applicants must ensure their nominated sites do not infringe on the area of the existing site, the location of which is shown on the Mid West Aquaculture Development Zone map.
Background documents
The following documents will assist you in preparing an application:
Further information
For more information email aquaculture@dpird.wa.gov.au