Tender for marine aquaculture sites in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria
The opportunity
The Victorian Government conducted a tender process in December 2024 for the opportunity to lease Crown Land sites for marine aquaculture production in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.
The tender is now closed, and we will share the results in January 2025.
For any enquiries, please email aquaculture.leasing@vfa.vic.gov.au
The 27 sites are contained within five Aquaculture Fisheries Reserves (see map and table below) and cover a total of 369 hectares of water. The tender provides an opportunity for substantial new investment in marine aquaculture and significant expansion in the production of shellfish and other species. Successful bidders will be offered the opportunity to enter into a 21-year Crown Land lease with the Victorian Fisheries Authority. Lease holders will be required to apply for a relevant Victorian Aquaculture Licence in order to operate.
The sites
Aquaculture Reserves (Port Phillip Bay) | Number of sites | Area available (hectares) |
|---|---|---|
Pinnace Channel | 12 | 324 |
Dromana | 1 | 4 |
Bates Point | 2 | 10 |
Grassy Point | 2 | 6 |
Kirk Point - Werribee | 10 | 25 |
Total | 27 | 369 |
Dates
25 November 2024: Tender open. Registered parties notified by email.
16 December 2024: Tender closes. Submissions assessed and successful bidders determined.
January 2025: Tenderers notified of result.
Why invest in Port Phillip Bay?
Port Phillip Bay, alongside its counterpart Western Port, is the home of offshore marine aquaculture in Victoria. The Victorian aquaculture industry has been established for over three decades, producing premium quality seafood.
Worldwide, these two waters are renowned for blue mussels. There are already a number of successful operations in both bays with almost 2000 tonnes produced in 2022/23. Today, Victoria is home to one of the largest mussel production areas in Australia with considerable scope to expand.
The key benefits of investing in aquaculture in Port Phillip Bay are:
- clean oceanic and bay water;
- protected waters and coastal temperatures that are ideally suited to growing shellfish;
- ideally located to supply the strong domestic demand for seafood in Victoria;
- access to research facilities and a successful commercial shellfish hatchery;
- sophisticated service industry and an extensive transportation network via road, rail, sea and air;
- nationally competitive prices for access to energy; and
- best practice commitment to maintaining environmental standards.
Victoria is the only location in Australia with waters of this quality and size available for aquaculture production, which are close to markets, employment and infrastructure.
Victoria's aquaculture and seafood industry
Victoria boasts some of the world’s finest and most sought-after seafood. It has an excellent reputation, both domestically and internationally, based on a reliable supply of quality produce, clean waters and well-developed infrastructure.
With more than 35 years of history in the state, marine aquaculture is one of the most innovative and prominent growth industries in Victoria. Growth in the bivalve shellfish sector is expected to increase substantially with access to new sites. Production from the abalone sector has increased substantially and is continuing to grow rapidly as facilities expand. Seaweed is a newcomer to the market and showing great potential for a variety of beneficial uses.
With over $55 million produced in the sector last year, Victorian aquaculture is on the rise and will be vital in providing a sustainable protein source to Australia’s growing population.
The offshore shellfish and seaweed industry includes operations at sites in both Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay across 552 hectares of water. The upcoming tender will provide access to a further 369 hectares to cater to the growth of the industry.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority is the lead agency implementing Government policy on aquaculture development in Victoria. Under the Fisheries Act 1995, the VFA manages the aquaculture industry in accordance with prescribed management plans, guidelines and protocols.
For more information
Visit www.tenders.vic.gov.au or email: aquaculture.leasing@vfa.vic.gov.au.