Albany Aquaculture Development Zone
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) invites applications from interested persons for aquaculture licences and tenure within the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone – Princess Royal Harbour (PRH) and King George Sound (KGS) Areas, which has been declared as the second (and final) stage of the Zone. DPIRD intends to begin considering applications received on or before 14 March 2022.
To ensure the sites within the zone are allocated appropriately, applications will be assessed in accordance with s.92 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and relevant aquaculture guidelines and may also require consideration of additional material if several applications seek the same or overlapping areas in the Zone.
Tenure in the PRH and KGS areas will be in the form of a sublicence with the Southern Ports Authority (SPA) and the Minister for Fisheries (Minister). While DPIRD has a role in recommending applicants to the Minister for the grant of tenure, the decision on the grant of a sublicence will be made by the Minister in his absolute discretion subject to the approval of SPA.
In total, the various areas of the Albany Aquaculture Zone are proposed to cover a total area of approximately 800 hectares for shellfish farming.
How to apply
For details on the application process and instructions on how to apply, please refer to the following documents:
Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 127: Aquaculture Development Zones in Western Australia – Policy Principles Relating to Considerations for Aquaculture Licences and Leases
Assessment Criteria for Applications in the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone PRH and KGS Areas
Aquaculture licence application
You can apply for an aquaculture licence online. Before you can start, you will need to request a personal account, which enables an applicant to:
- submit an application and correspond with DPIRD in a workflow-based environment;
- check the status of an application and know its progress at any point in time; and
- have a better user experience.
To 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 forms, refer to the Online Form User Guides for licences.
When making your application, you should also ensure that you are familiar with the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone – PRH and KGS Areas and the background documents listed below.
Lodging an application
Licence applications can be lodged online, as outlined above.
DPIRD 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 receive:
• the signature page with the original signatures of all relevant parties to the application; and
• confirmation that payment has been made (that is, a receipt or internal notification from our Licensing Branch).
About the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone – Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sound Areas
Existing farms operate within the boundaries of the PRH and KGS Areas. These existing sites are not available for licence applications. Applicants must ensure their nominated site(s) do not infringe on the existing sites, the locations of which are shown on the Albany Aquaculture Development Zone – PRH and KGS map.
Applicants will need to consider spatial separation from existing sites and allow sufficient distance for the passage of vessels. As part of the assessment of applications, DPIRD will work with applicants to ensure appropriate distances have been proposed.
Disclaimer
Neither the Minister nor the State are legally bound to grant any tenure rights to any applicant unless and until a sublicence has been executed by the Minister, SPA and the applicant and received all necessary approvals.
Background documents
The following documents will assist you in preparing an application:
Further information
For more information email aquaculture@dpird.wa.gov.au