15 November 2024
Govt loan to boost Southland’s aquaculture industry
A government loan of $2.2m will boost an aquaculture centre of excellence near Bluff, but it’s “just the beginning” for a potential $1.5 billion industry in the region, a Great South leader says.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is today in Bluff announcing the Government is backing the development of the aquaculture centre at the Ocean Beach site on the outskirts of the port town.
South Island Industrial Fund Ltd, which owns Ocean Beach, will use the $2.2m loan, from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, towards its $6.3m project to upgrade infrastructure at the site.
The upgrades would allow for expansion.
Ocean Beach, the site of a former freezing works, aims to increase its shared services for more businesses, expand its farming pods, build training, research and accommodation for the workforce and build tourism facilities.
The site is currently home to whitebait and pāua farms.
“When fully operational, Ocean Beach will provide emerging aquaculture businesses with the infrastructure they need to produce, distribute and export their products, teach the skills needed in the sector and provide a place to invest in aquaculture,” Jones said.
South Island Industrial Fund director and Ocean Beach managing director Blair Wolfgram said “this is a remarkable opportunity for Southland to lead the way in land-based aquaculture excellence.
“This site’s expansion means creating more local jobs, attracting further investment, and generating a platform for future-proofing aquaculture in the region. We’re excited about what this enables not only for Ocean Beach but for all of Southland.”
Great South regional projects manager Bobbi Brown said aquaculture was Southland’s biggest diversification opportunity, due to its cool waters and vast coastline, and it was now reaching the “exciting” phase after years of planning.
“We are starting to see things come into action … this is the start of a journey the region will go through.”
The Government aimed to reach $3b in sales from aquaculture by 2035, and Southland was expected to produce half that amount – $1.5 billion, she said.
“That’s a great goal but we need to outline how we reach that goal … how we help our businesses, supply chains, make sure we have the right workers and skills and a lot of infrastructure will be required,” she said.
The aquaculture strategy, being worked on currently, would set the pathway on how previous work and today’s Government funding announcement would fit together.
Southland already had a “proud” aquaculture industry and history, and thanks to those people the foundation could now be built on, she said.
“It’s not just open ocean aquaculture or land-based, it’s other things like seaweed, whitebait … it’s very exciting because it’s quite diverse.”
Southland Business Chamber chief executive Sheree Carey also welcomed the announcement, saying investment would be needed to achieve the $1.5b goal.
“This is a good start.”
The work at the Ocean Beach site was working because all the people involved in aquaculture were sharing ideas and resources, she said.
Jones said Ocean Beach was the gateway to Bluff and the clear waters, cool climate and vast coastline would help make it a world-class aquaculture centre of excellence and the largest of its kind in New Zealand.
“This project met the strict criteria we have put in place for the Regional Infrastructure Fund through its focus on enabling infrastructure.”
Aquaculture was a key priority for Southland and backing it through the Regional Infrastructure Fund supported the coalition Government’s goal to reach $3b in sales by 2035, Jones said.
Jones was in Southland for the Southland Regional Growth Summit on Friday. He would speak with iwi representatives, local government, business leaders and sector organisations.
“The summits have been invaluable for getting conversations going about regional priorities, leveraging investments and strategies and finding out where our priorities align so we can work together to maximise our investments for the good of a region,” Jones said.
Source: Stuff.co.nz – 14 November 2024