This project disrupts the local ecosystem close to a National Park and can create more debris and rubbish in a remote area. It can change the nutrient balance of the nearby water system which will have a negative impact on businesses down the river.
Wonboyn is a rare place of wild natural coexistence and the kelp farm will be a visual eyesore against a backdrop of wilderness. There is the chance of this kelp farm to expand even further, altering the waterways and beauty of the area. Surely there’s somewhere else further out and not near a delicate estuary and river system for the kelp farm to be developed. It is the beginning of industrialising the area and the national park should not be used to allow the infrastructure equipment needed to build such a large kelp farm, which I assume is a commercial venture. I object strenuously to this project. For me personally for sixty years, this place has been a place of quiet, untouched nature. There are so few of these untouched and wild places left for everyone and anyone to enjoy.

I am visiting Disaster Bay for the first time in my 71 years. I am incredibly moved by the most pristine environment, comparable only to the Overland Track in Tasmania.

This history of whale migration with the ability of whales to rest with their calves on both northward and south bound journeys is a major environmental consideration.

Protection of access, quality of water and preservation of fish habitats and beach wave patterns is fundamental.

I am dismayed and outraged at this planned kelp development which is nothing short of extreme environmental vandalism for profit. It is poorly disguised as environmentally beneficial, where it is clearly the opposite. This disgraceful capitulation to private interests is clearly flawed. Not only will there be immediate pollution from the massive project from the kelp from the barges and boats necessary to maintain the farm from the industrial noise, smoke, oil leaks and flashing lights. The immediate hazards to migrating whales with the potential to disrupt their natural 1000 year established migration patterns is potentially life threatening to the whales and disgraceful. There is potential for the kelp to dislodge with 100s tonnes of kelp to be dumped on the shores of Nadgee Nature Reserve and potentially obstruct the entrance to the pristine waters of Wonboyn Lake and River. This would have disastrous consequences for marine life within that ecosystem. I object in the strongest terms. A public enquiry must be held at the highest levels and the Minister held to account.

This project is inappropriate over a lot of categories. The 1st category is navigation hazard the lease as proposed crosses directly in front of Merrica river entrance this is a waterway travelled by power boat visited frequently by locals and holiday makers in the area. To travel and navigate around the proposed lease as it has been set-out would make the trip much harder far more dangerous and for night navigation impossible.
The area over the proposed lease is a fishing ground for local recreational fishermen and offers protection though winter from a southerly wind. To think it does no get used by the community is completely wrong, locals and tourists use this area and the pristine environment that it is, The value as a pristine area should not be understated . Even though this farm is passive industrial, it is still industrialisation of a area that is not industrialised, the back drop of a major recovering National Park frequented with dolphins, whales sharks, sea birds it would be shameful to change this.

I have been coming to Wonboyn Lake with my family for fifty odd years. The reason we come here and love it so much is that the land and the sea are pristine relatively untouched by man. We don’t want to see the area spoilt by this huge kelp farm proposal that will impact this beautiful place. The area will be impacted by this proposal and should be left as it is for many more generations to enjoy .

Three generations of our family and have been coming to Wonboyn to enjoy the pristine environment. We have owned a property in Wonboyn for over twenty five years. We don’t want to see this unspoilt area relatively untouched by man exploited by this huge kelp farm. This pristine environment should be left alone. At night it will be an eyesore with all the lights flashing at sea. Who knows what the environmental impact will be with storms. We have concerns with this wealthy mans folly as he has a history of setting up businesses and moving them on making huge profits. Who knows down the track what will happen to this farm if it goes ahead. Will he be personally responsible for any environmental damage to our pristine area.

Protect our beach! Wonboyn is not an industrial marine zone. It is a quiet, environmentally significant community where people come specifically to enjoy nature, wildlife, and the unspoiled landscape.
Once developments of this nature are introduced into sensitive coastal areas, the character of the region can be permanently altered.
I strongly believe that alternative locations better suited to commercial marine farming should be considered, particularly areas that are already industrialised or less environmentally and visually sensitive.
Wonboyn is a unique coastal community that relies heavily on its natural beauty, healthy waterways, and peaceful lifestyle. Many residents chose to live here because of its unspoiled environment. Developments of this scale risk permanently changing the identity and ecological balance of the area.

One of our major concerns is the proposed use of lighting at night associated with the kelp farm operations. Our property looks directly over the proposed site, and we strongly object to the introduction of flashing or industrial style lighting across what is currently a peaceful and natural ocean environment. Wonboyn is valued for its dark skies, quiet atmosphere, and untouched beauty, and this proposal would significantly alter the character of the area.

I have visited Disaster Bay for over 40 years staying at our Wonboyn family house. Disaster Bay is widely regarded as the most pristine marine environment in the region and abuts the Nadgee Nature Reserve, the only coastal wilderness in NSW. It is the wrong location for a large commercial enterprise. My deep concerns include inadequate Indigenous consultation; animal and bird entanglement; undersea noise; changes to the benthic environment; micro-plastics; visual and noise disruption; effects on wilderness; negative impacts on eco-tourism. 1 Inadequate Indigenous consultation: Ongoing consultation with Traditional Owners is claimed throughout the EIS. In A5 ASCHA final it’s stated that 19 RAP groups were invited to an on-site meeting to discuss the cultural significance of the area and proposed works. However, none of the RAP groups were able to attend. In 2023 RAP groups given information packs and 28 days to respond. Feedback was received from only one person, Wendy Morgan of Guntawang Aboriginal Resources, a woman’s group based in Sydney. This does not constitute a valid Aboriginal consultation. The next step to formal contact is relationship building and face to face contact, as recommended in guides for working with Indigenous Australians. Some Indigenous people may regard formal approaches with suspicion due to the history of the stolen generation, or may lack confidence in reading and writing. They may be busy with community matters. Approaching organisations personally, if there’s no or little response from formal approaches, is recommended practice. Also the relevant Elders for the Greenglades site were not contacted. Their names do not appear on the list of Aboriginal people in the report. The views and insights of Traditional Owners should have been included in the EIS. The Independent Planning Commission should review the consultation. 2 Animal entanglement: During the whale migration season I have watched whales in Disaster Bay from the hill behind Wonboyn village. AusKelp’s risk assessment template states the location must avoid known whale migration routes Table 5; Eden1 Ann. Rep. FY24. Whales are common in the bay. The EIS admits it may be part of a whale resting place, p 211. The NPWS website informs that whales can be observed in the bay during the migration season from the Disaster Bay lookout. Scientific studies find that whales are known to play with kelp as a social activity and use it as a skin balm. Killer whales, Humpbacks and Southern Right whales are among the species observed doing this, and the latter two are common in the area. Cases of whale entanglement in kelp have been recorded by NOAA in the USA. Its report states the mariculture of seaweeds is on the rise which could put whales in increased proximity to infrastructure. The kelp farm could potentially attract whales and put them at risk. Whale watching, a growing Eden industry, should not be risked. The EIS states there’s been no known cases of whale entanglement within a kelp farm. But lack of evidence of whale entanglement does not equate to the absence of risk. Whale expert Dr Michael Moore of the WHOI research org. says ‘Whenever there’s a rope in the water column, there’s an entanglement risk.’ Dolphins, seals and other marine animals, including endangered animals and birds frequent the bay. Fairy Penguins are seen. The EIS says dolphins are irregular visitors, yet dolphins frequently ride the surf at Greenglades. AusKelp admits that seabirds are potentially vulnerable to accidental collision with longline infrastructure when diving for schooling fish and may ingest marine debris. There’s no evidence AusKelp’s mitigation measures will prevent entanglements. The size of the proposal, at 200 ha, is unprecedented in Australia and apart from China, in the rest of the world, eg a 40 ha limit in Maine, a 10 ha limit in Norway in clean waters. AusKelp’s longlines and infrastructure are untested (the small test site does not equate to infrastructure of this scale) yet the proposed site is within an environmentally sensitive area.
3 Undersea noise: Baleen whale communication can cross hundreds of km. UniMelb research found that human made noise is affecting whale behaviour and migration, reducing whales’ ability to hear acoustic communication, generating an avoidance response and lowering the detection of environmental cues that some whales use to inform navigation. Noise pollution increases whales’ stress levels, which has been linked to strandings. Given the close proximity of the whale migration route, there is a significant risk that noise pollution during AusKelp’s activities, via motors and tools, will affect whale behaviours.
4 Changes to the undersea environment: Aus Kelp’s community consultation in Wonboyn described the ocean floor of the farm site as ocean desert, as though it’s a denuded, lifeless area. I believe the term was misleading to the audience. Also, on p22 of the EIS, the site is described as unvegetated sandy substrate with no biological assemblages. AusKelp’s benthic snapshot, a single survey during winter, revealed communities of organisms (74 fauna and two algae) inhabiting the unpolluted waters and sea floor of the site. These communities included fish, sharks, rays, squid, shellfish, crustaceans, algae, seastars and worms. A Big Bellied seahorse (protected species) was present. AusKelp’s Benthic assessment admits that a valid assessment of infauna composition would be based on multiple replica samples collected from various sites over summer as well as winter seasons to capture natural variation. ‘Benthic infauna communities can be extremely variable over different sites and during different seasons’ p 44. The site’s natural communities play a vital ecological role. Infrastructure, shading, anchors and a seaweed not normally occurring will alter the kind of nutrient cycling normally present. A novel habitat will be created, disrupting the current ecological balance. The AusKelp benthic assessment points out that an increase in prey items may occur during routine maintenance, when lines of fouling organisms such as mussel shells are cleaned. The resulting shell-fall to the sea-bed could provide ‘prey items’ for seastars and predators such as Port Jackson sharks p. 35 Benthic assessment. It is scientifically evidenced that kelp farms typically support habitats and distinct communities which are not equivalent to natural kelp forests. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-022-02822-y
5 micro-plastics: AusKelp admits its use of synthetic rope will introduce microplastics into the sea, and therefore into the food chain. This is waved away in the EIS, stating that other aquaculture industries such as oyster farms use plastics. If the kelp farm goes ahead, microplastics will be introduced into an unpolluted marine environment. The bay’s strong wave action will increase rope abrasion. The current use of plastics in aquaculture is not a license for use. 6 Visual change, noise: Up to six daily return boat trips during the construction phase, and up to three return trips daily thereafter for inspections, harvesting and other activities, weather permitting, will occur. Few boats currently navigate the very rough bay. Drones will be used for inspections and to check for animal entanglements if seas are too rough. However, the Nadgee is an exclusion area for drones. The NPWS website says that flying drones in parks can impact visitors and disturb native animals. Formal approval has to be applied for. Strict guidelines apply. Sea and Wedgetail eagles are a common sight at Greenglades. Raptors have been injured by drones, and white-bellied Sea eagles are stressed by drones, and highly sensitive to disturbance during the breeding season. In a UNSW study aggressive behaviour was observed. In one instance a raptor attacked and took down a fixed-wing drone. The presence of drones, boating activities, increased human presence and the visual disruption of the seascape will alter the nature of this wilderness place, making it less desirable for visitors who wish to enjoy the peace of an untouched environment. Dark Sky places are increasingly rare around the world. Greenglades at night, with the moon-glow on waves and vast starscape, is majestic. The kelp farm with its lights and buoys will degrade the nocturnal ambiance, depriving people and children of a unique experience. 7 Encroach on and affect wilderness areas: The sea and coast are part of the same environment and interact. Indigenous people of the Nadgee call themselves saltwater people, A5 ASCHA Final, yet the EIS discusses land and sea as separate entities. The kelp farm location is close to the Merrica river mouth in the Nadgee. The river could be affected by in-washing seaweed, erosion, and changes in wave patterns. Several creeks adjacent to the kelp farm site are frequented by wildlife and birds, including the endangered Hooded Plover. Both creeks experience intermittent tidal interaction. I have seen baby eels washed in, climbing the rocky bed of the creek at Greenglades cliff. On p 30 of the EIS these creeks are referred to as ephemeral and dry, apart from during heavy rain. Neither creek runs dry except in extreme drought. Aquatic life is plentiful at Snake creek. The long-term impacts of the farm on the shoreline, estuarine creeks and on pristine Nadgee beaches are unknown. 8 Negatively affect eco-tourism: The EIS down plays the area, describing it as remote, difficult to access. Disaster Bay is the most accessible part of the Nadgee (NPWS). Greenglades beach road is accessible via normal car. Wonboyn village’s small population swells during holidays and weekends. Wonboyn is only a 28 minute drive from Eden. Disaster Bay is enjoyed by those who wish to experience a wild, pristine environment untouched by industry. The construction of a large commercial kelp farm puts the environmental value of this unique place at risk.

It is a pristine environment and we don’t want a factory in our bay.

Disaster Bay is not a suitable location for this project. Not only is it a completely pristine area of ocean, but it is also surrounded by both a large nature reserve and national park. Introducing any kind of industrial development into this wilderness would not only be detrimental to the ecological balance of the area, which the reserve and park are specifically set up to protect, but also incredibly damaging to the local tourism industry that relies on people being attracted to the natural beauty of the area. No one will want to visit a bay whose main feature is industrial aquaculture, and if this project is allowed to go ahead it will undoubtably set a precedent for future developments and expansions to cause further damage. Please find an alternative location to build this project.