Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has re-opened public submissions on a proposed onshore abalone farm near Portland after the company provided further requested documents.
EPA is considering a works approval application from Yumbah Aquaculture Ltd (Yumbah) for the farm. The proposed farm would include a hatchery, nursery and growout tanks, pumping seawater to the land-based farm, before discharging treated water to the bay through a series of outlet pipelines.
An information session was held in November and close to 350 submissions were received. To gain a better understanding of the concerns and identify potential resolutions, EPA organised an independently-chaired community meeting in December.
EPA requested further information from Yumbah in December and the following requested documents are now available on the Engage Victoria website :
- a response to all submissions
- a hydrogeological assessment
- a draft biosecurity plan
- a response to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s request for further information to accompany the company’s Marine and Coastal Act application
- an assessment of the risk of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) that may be generated during construction activities.
Written submissions in response to the new information will be open until 12pm Tuesday 29 January.
EPA Acting Executive Director Tim Faragher said the comment period was for the additional information only.
“All the submissions EPA has previously received about this proposal and information obtained at the community conference held in December will still be considered in EPA’s assessment of the application,” he said.
The company’s full proposal and associated documents can be found at Engage Victoria.