Pindimar Abalone Farm

I am a regular visitor to South Pindimar where I indulge in my hobbies of Fishing, Kayaking and swimming. I go there because of the pristine waters in the bay and the solitude that this little seaside village provides.
I am concerned that this will be adversely affected by the introduction of what looks like a substantial industrial development in such close proximity to residents living there.
I am particularly concerned about chemically treated waste water being pumped back into what is now a pristine waterway supporting a complex natural environment including fish, birds and land mammals. I am also concerned of the effect that the noise of the pumping facilities and the increase in traffic will have on the life of the residents and their visitors.

I totally support the application for the following reasons:
* the environmental statements strongly suggest the operation will be environmentally acceptable
* Australian wild stocks of abalone are going to be given protection from over-harvesting and black market poaching due to a regular supply of farmed product being offered to the Australian market
* much needed job creation will be available to local residence
* a potential within the project to become a tourist attraction would go on to provide a much needed economic benefit to the local commercial communities of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest
* the development falls within the LEP zoning guidelines
* Port Stephens has been identified many times as an ideal venue for aquaculture and this project (being land-based) overcomes many previous objections to proposed 'water based' projects which contained cages and buoyed growing ropes etc.
* to have private enterprise champion and develop a commercial land-based aquaculture project at nil cost to a Government is a most cost effective way of providing a proving-ground for what may well become a substantial primary industry Australia wide

I am lodging my objection to the proposed Pindimar Abalone Farm (Application MP 10_0006) on the following grounds -
* The location is too far upstream (9kms) from the Heads of Port Stephens where tidal flushing is not daily as claimed. There has been a build up of sandbanks within the Port over the last couple of decades causing more eddying of waters and slowing of tidal flush as cited in a survey by Manly Hydraulics in 1999. Tidal flushing takes one to two weeks
* This is the only industry within Port Stephens that will have permission to discharge water (50 megalitres daily) from a concentrated feedlot into the Port through two outlet pipes (each 30cm in diameter).Why degrade our waterway by pumping a tonne of nitrogen waste annually directly into the Port. No one else is permitted to pollute like this.
* The eco tourism (dolphin/whale/turtle sightings, diving, fishing, sailing, etc) depends on the pristine nature of the Port being maintained. This development threatens our beautiful waterway.
*Two Intake pipes (each 30cm in diameter) will suck in & destroy juvenile marine life
*There is a likely threat of mollusc diseases being introduced into the Port. Abalone farms in Tasmania have caused the near catastrophic destruction of wild abalone stocks due to the spread from these farms of the disease ganglioneuritis even when these farms were located on the coast and not within enclosed waters.
* 180 Clarke St entrance leads into a narrow country road. The safety of local commuters and tourists is also jeopardised by the trucks that will be required to transport the produced abalone onto this road.
As operators of tourist cabins in the area I am concerned by the increase of truck movements and subsequent noise. We offer our guests a tranquil environment to relax & get away from the city noise. The attraction for our guests is the natural surroundings and being able to enjoy the local waterways by beach walking and swimming. I believe that the development of an abalone farming factory will only serve to distract visitors and reduce tourism to this area.

This proposed development places at extreme risk the pristine waters of Port Stephens for an industry employing few and benefiting few.
It is opposed by Great Lakes & Port Stephens Council.
It is on SEPP14 coastal wetlands where the seagrasses support juvenile marine life including turtles, seahorses, molluscs and fish species. The construction of the pipeline to the farm will potentially release acid sulphate soil and have serious consequences for this marine life.
The mudflats of Pindimar do not flush well and therefore the waste water will also have negative effects.
All other abalone farms are in coastal positions, this one is 9km up an estuary.
It is very likely that diseases affecting abalone farms in Victoria and Tasmania will be spread to Port Stephens.
An up to date, detailed and independent EIS must be carried out before the development is even considered.

My family owns a house on Cambage Street which we use often for weekend breaks. There are many small children who use this street, including my young niece and nephew and we see it as a quiet street in which they can ride their bikes and walk in relative safety from heavy traffic and high volume roads. Many members of the street utilise the street in the same way and have chosen this particular location to live and holiday for this reason. There are no footpaths for the children to use or walk family pets and it is a no-through road. To increase traffic , including heaver vehicles, to allow access to the Abalone Farm would increase the danger to the road users including children and animals. I understand access can be provided from the main road and this appears to be a more appropriate avenue.

As someone who regularly holidays in Pindimar, I wish to strongly object to this proposal on the following basis:

* I understand that the farm is to be accessed via Cambage Street (both construction traffic during development and then farm employees when up and running). I am genuinely concerned for the safety of my two young children who enjoy riding their bikes up and down Cambage Street and playing in the unfenced front yard of our holiday home. There are no footpaths on the road and the road verges can be affected by flooding. Hence the road is the only place to walk, ride bikes and push prams.

* We continue to return to this beautiful, untouched part of the world for family holidays specifically for the quiet, unhurried and safe environment it offers our young family. The large volume of 24/7 traffic which will accompany the development in question poses a safety risk to our young children and will be detrimental to the relaxed atmosphere and friendly, cohesive community which exists along Cambage Street - something quite unique these days.

* In addition, there are obvious environmental concerns. My understanding is that the waste water from the farm will be pumped straight out into the beach. This will both pollute the water and has the potential to harm local fauna and flora as well.

Please do not allow this development to proceed. The safety risks, environmental concerns and potential for adverse impact on the local community are significant.

Cambage Street is a small community-oriented street, constantly used by children riding bikes, families walking dogs etc. This plan will absolutely destroy the quiet community, if the site is accessed via Cambage. The farm should connect to the main road into Pindimar and it could easily do so. Using Cambage will expose the families, and their children, to dangers of heavy traffic. And I'm sure the farm will create environmental issues too, as waste water gets pumped into the water, fouling the beach for the people who holiday there (like us) and the people who live there.

To whom it may concern

I am writing to express my concern and objection towards the proposed abalone land factory farm at Port Stephens.

My concern mainly is with the 1000 kg of nitrogen and other waster which is proposed to be pumped into the water of port stephens each year should this project go ahead. The waste will be pumped inside the port 9 km from the open ocean. This would cause unimaginable damage to the underwater environments! This include the potential risk of mollusc disease such as Ganglioneuritic and Perkinsus which destroys wild abalone and marine life.

Other abalone farms are in coastal areas not in estuaries and is just not acceptable in such a fragile world already damaged tremendously by human acts. Please DO NOT accept this proposal, but consider the care and wellbeing of this blue water paradise. There will be no visitors to a dead polluted area, which means loss of jobs, property value.. well the list continuus!

Thank you for doing the right thing

Yours sincerely

Heidi

Hello,
I want to submit my objection towards the planned Abalone Farm at 180 Clarke Street Pindimar, NSW 2324.
Pindimar is a quiet village resting on the shores of the popular waterways of Port Stephens.
Its idyllic location is very unique to coastal NSW as its a well hidden secret from greedy developers, well it has been up until now by the looks of it.
The very thought of someone wanting to destroy vegetation both on land and in the water, and jeopardise the pristine beautiful water that all sorts of marine life flourish makes me ill.
I have read the proposal and what the developers want to do, and to be honest I cannot understand why someone would want to risk our way of life and the ecology of the marine life. I'm only 14, but I know it's wrong to allow this farm to go ahead.
We have a holiday camping block in Pindimar of which all our family use and love, the clean water, the fishing, the fun. It's such a nice spot that MUST be protected from the greedy money hungry developers who don't even live in the area.
Please don't allow this to go ahead, ever.

Hello,
I want to submit my objection towards the planned Abalone Farm at 180 Clarke Street Pindimar, NSW 2324.
We live on a busy Street in a suburb of Newcastle. Getting away from it and going to our little camping block just off Cambage St is something my brother and I always look forward to.
We love Pindimar because we can actually be kids, getting out and riding our bikes, swimming, fishing, going for bushwalks and along the shores of the bay , we feel safe.
I feel our safety as kids will be at risk by the extra traffic the Abalone Farm will bring into the village, and the risk of getting sick by who knows what will be coming out of the pipes and into the water from the farm. Mum and Dad have read to us parts of the plans of the farm and I don't like it all.
At Pindimar there are so many things we can do that we can't do at home, like riding our bikes on the little streets as there is very little traffic. I feel my life will be put in danger sharing Cambage & Clarke Street with big trucks all the time while riding my bike or walking to the shores to go fishing.
I like fishing up and down the bay area of South Pindimar too, it's really hard to catch a legal sized fish now and I'm worried that pollution from the pipes will make the fishing harder.
I would like to object to the farm, it will ruin Pindimar, thank you.

NSW Planning & Infrastructure
Application : MP10-0006
Location : 180 Clarke Street ,South Pindimar NSW
Good afternoon,
I wish to lodge my objection to the proposed Abalone Farm at South Pindimar. I retired to the area eight years ago because of the attraction of the natural & pristine beauty of the Bay & its surrounds....this still exists today!
My understanding is that this application was rejected by GLC several years ago & no doubt your executives & staff are aware of why this occurred......if not, I suggest you investigate further.
The Bays tourist industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars per annum & I find is totally absurd that this project has now reached a stage where with the " flip of a pen " the livelihoods of hundreds of people employed in the tourist area & more importantly, the Bay itself , could be put in jeopardy.
The experts will no doubt tell you why this development should not proceed. My objections ,albeit quite minor & to some perhaps trivial reflect the views of not only me, but many of my friends & neighbours.
1) The address of the applicant is 180 Clarke Street,Pindimar.........yet the access proposed is via Cambage Street........100% residential. Why is this ?
2) I do not believe our electricity grid is capable of handling the pumping of 50 mega litres of water per day.....plus the ongoing supply to insure the water temperature meets the requirements of abalone farming. It certainly is not a "green friendly" project!
3) The fact that pipes will extend 500m into the bay is inconceivable.....damage to fish nurseries, breeding stock, sea grasses & the sea bed itself . From my home I have watched the build-up of sand/silt from Jimmys Bay over the past 8 years & without a doubt this sand will build up around the pipes & supporting pylons.
4) Who is going to be accountable to the residents & tourists of Port Stephens should the abalone contract a disease with subsequent contamination to the waters of Port Stephens......& who is going to compensate the prawn/oyster/fishing industries should, God forbid,this happens!
5) At its optimum the project could turn over 60 tonne of abalone.........this is not going to generate tens of millions & a more realistic figure would be around $2million at current prices. How an unproven & potentially damaging venture such as an abalone farm be approved defies logic! $2m or even $5 V $400 is the magic figure so I would hope that sanity & common sense prevail in making a decision.
6) Should this project be approved I want a guarantee from all governmental departments that the proponents have in place a bond to cover the total costs of demolishing/removing plant/machinery /ponds/pipes when the venture folds. Unfortunately history has shown that these types of ventures are short term & only profit a few...sadly small investors always lose out!
7) This is the first time in my life that I have lodged any type of objection to a development & in particular to a business one. I was the Logistical Director of one of Australia's largest & most profitable import/export companies & after 40 years in the game I am still passionate in ensuring that new business ventures are pursued........of course we need venture capitalists/entrepreneurs & that great Australian spirit of "having a go". I am not against abalone farming ( although I could think of far more profitable ventures!) & of course we need more industries to cater for the ever growing numbers of unemployed. Indeed I wish the proponents much success in their endeavours. We are fortunate enough to live in a truly remarkable area with natural beauty to be envied by the world. This is our Barrier Reef & our Kakadu & it is up to us as short term caretakers to preserve this magnificent area for the future.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit my objection.
Yours sincerely

Robert Dowling......."Rowdy Acres" 73 Clarke St, Pindimar NSW 2324

I live in Pindimar and swim in these waters everyday.
I totally object to this farm.

Submission submitted as a PDF file : Attachment 1

I wish to object to the proposed development of an abalone farm at South Pindimar.
I have been visiting my family at Cambage Street, Pindimar for the last thirty years. I actually grew up at Nelson Bay.
Port Stephens is such a wonderful marine environment. The water is clear and the beaches are white. I would like to think that my children and grandchildren would be able to enjoy this environment for many years to come.
I am concerned that a commercial enterprise, namely the abalone farm, could potentially pose a risk and place pressure on this environment.
A commercial enterprise may argue that jobs will be created but at what expense - benefits to a few when preservation of the area will benefit all and future generations.
I am concerned that not all contingencies of production may meet strict enough guidelines. Any pollutants to the water or the beaches or surrounding environments may not be able to be remedied.
Is the company proposing this development financially viable to be able to rectify any environmental damage that may occur? Or will the company go into receivership and leave not only a polluted environment but a financial burden on government to restore a damaged environment?
Greater traffic volumes on Cambage Street are also of concern.
Why is this development even being considered when it is on the edge of a marine park.

I strongly oppose the proposal for several reasons.

I have fished this area for 20years.
This area is fished regularly by both recreational and professional fishermen.It is a high boat traffic area.
I catch bream ,flathead ,whiting ,squid ,blue swimmer crabs and rays in this area.
My concerns about the Abalone farm are the destruction of habitat especially on the installation of the pipes via the mangroves and the weed beds that will be affected.
I think in the process of digging and laying the pipes there will be collateral damage to these areas which are essential for fish reproduction in particular.
It is ironic that the project and the pipes border a marine park!!
These areas I fish frequently and I am intimately aware of the weed area which will be interrupted.
The other aspect of this is the effect on the weed bed and fish life when the effluent from the abalone is pumped into the close proximity of the weed.

I think the water quality of effluent should be monitored by an independent body paid for by the proponents.

The other issue is the noise created by the pumps on land.
Currently this is a rural area with no man made noise.
I think this will detract from the area .

I do not accept that the road infrastructure is adequate or safe enough to accommodate both the building process with larger scale building equipment being required nor for the extra heavy traffic by both workers and heavier vehicles for this semi industrial project.
My brother in law has a disability and walks on the road due to poor mobility.My children ride bikes on this road.
It is a road intended for a quiet rural street.
The Cambage street has no footpath for either walkers or children to safely be accommodated.

I feel an upgrade to Cambage St is required before the project goes ahead.
This should be the proponents and not the tax payers who pay for this.

I also believe that if the project fails there should be a bond in place for the clean up.
I cannot imagine what rotting abalone would smell like from tanks that have not been adequately cleaned and cleared if the project does not succeed commercially.
I think this is a high risk project due the high water temperature of the PORT.
I believe that this is the most northerly project in Australia and therefore again it carries a higher risk of failure.

My advice would be the proponents pay a bond or insurance to the relevant party such as the state government for clean up and or contamination of the PORT especially in the instance of a commercial failure or of contamination of the PORT.

My understanding is that this was a mandatory prerequisite for another aquaculture project intended for Port Stephens such as pearl farming.


Yours sincerely

The waters and mangroves of South Pindimar are home to many different animals such as dolphins, crabs, sharks, turtles, stingrays, yabbies, fish, eagles and black swans. If this proposal for the Abalone Farm succeeded I am concerned that all these animals would either die or move to different areas due to the pipes being put in and causing pollution. I have been visiting Pindimar for 9 years( all my life) which is enough to know that it is special and not meant to be a place for making money. It is meant for people looking for fun and a second home filled with pride for all the nature we have kept alive through floods, storms, fires and even droughts.It would be disastrous if the safety on the roads and the peaceful calm happy feeling of swimming through pristine waters was blown away in seconds, because it would effect my family, the Pindimar community and I.
People such as my disabled uncle and children who live here and experience the wonderful land that could become an abalone farm.The worse thing is the abalone farm is all about money and the other side of argument is to protect the nature and feel happy and safe.

To whom it may concern,
As a regular visitor to the pristine area in question,( my sister is the next door neighbour to the proposal) I frequently enjoy the sport of "Stand up Paddle" almost daily through the area in question. I am in an elevated standing position with polaroid glasses enabling me to manoeuver quietly between mangrove trees and along the foreshore to witness the active marine and bird life in the surrounds This includes newly born fish, crabs, oysters, larger predator fish, various rays and turtles, large and small. Lets not forget the magnificent sea eagle perched high up in the tree waiting to swoop on the fish below( will this tree remain)
This area in the proposal is a nursery to various forms of marine life and any development to the defined area is clearly in danger of upsetting the delicate harmonics of nature

Abalone farms have a history of compromising biosecurity as difficult economic conditions impact their operating procedures.

The market for Australian abalone is currently depressed for a range of reasons, making profitability of the farm very unlikely, and likely to lead to compromised biosecurity procedures.

Biosecurity procedures are most important where abalone are held in farms and stressed further by environmental conditions. Pindimar is not likely to have good environmental operating conditions for an abalone farm, leading to greater stress on abalone, making them more vulnerable to disease and so biosecurity more important.

The wild abalone population at Port Stephens has been impacted heavily by disease, but is starting to recover well. For recovery to continue on the open ocean reefs, and for abalone to return in greater numbers inside Port Stephens, it is important to protect stocks from further impacts, that may be caused by abalone held in a farm being stressed and lax biosecurity.

Having lived and dived in the Port Stephens area since 1985 recreationally and have been involved in the commercial harvest of Sea Urchin, Turban Shell and Blacklip Abalone in NSW Since 2000 I feel qualified to comment on this application with a level of experience and authority and am a major stakeholder. I hold a Entitlement to harvest Sea Urchin Turban Shells and Blacklip Abalone and own shares in the NSW Abalone Fishery. Aside from the damage that such a farm will cause Sea grass beds within the waters of Port Stephens and the cost in running such a venture not being economically viable to be succesful, my primary concern is the potential to spread disease into the natural Abalone Fishery which has shown rapid improvement over the past few years on the back of significant quota reductions by shareholders and the 11 year closure of recreational Abalone fishing. The risk of spreading disease is already well documented in previous attempts to farm Abalone. The perkinsis virus and AVG damaging the wild resource in NSW and Victoria. Recent disease in the Pacific Oyster farms located within Port Stephens demonstrates clearly the risks involved. A risk too great given the value of tourism and the value of our wild fisheries. The costs involved in maintaining the standards of such an enterprise to guarantee the spread of disease is too high to be profitable. Therefor this biosecurity measure will not be maintained in the long term.

As a local keen SCUBA diver this development is very concerning. The potential impact on water quality, chemically and especially to water clarity (turbidity) is especially concerning. We have already lost the best part of one of our local dive sites (Halifax Park) to unexplained ( and probably naturally occuring ) sand inundations. I would hope that possible negative impacts to local shore diving sites within Port Stephens as a result of this project going ahead are given ample consideration when approval of this project is considered. Thank-you, Robert Stewart.