Sid Sidebottom
MP Federal Member for Braddon.
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
$7M Funding Boost Will Transform Tasmanian Salmon Industry and the West Coast
It was a thrill to be able to announce in Strahan on June 11 the Australian Government’s $7.14 million funding boost to make the Macquarie Harbour Aquaculture Hub a reality.
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this project for Tasmania and the West Coast. Through this funding, the three major aquaculture companies in our State – Huon Aquaculture, Tassal and Petuna Seafoods - will be able to combine their resources and build this $60 million hub.
The hub will transform the economy of the West Coast with flow-on effects to the whole of the State.
The companies will be able to double their production and eventually this could be a billion-dollar-a-year industry. It is a great example of the diversification of the Tasmanian economy that’s needed and is underway.
The aquaculture industry will be able to boom and co-exist with our significant mining industry and the important tourist industry.
The project will create 100 jobs during the construction phase and a further 163 jobs on completion in November 2016.
Businesses that support aquaculture such as ship chandlers, ship builders and repairers, and logistics operations have all expressed an interest in establishing new operations at the hub.
This significant funding injection builds on our strategic and massive investment in Tasmania to generate economic growth, create jobs and diversify the economy.
Supporting local working families
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