OEH acknowledges that in general the EA is considered adequate with respect to biodiversity/threatened species and Aboriginal cultural heritage matter, albeit some minor matters need to be resolved.

The RFS has reviewed the EA. including the Bushfire Protection Assessment prepared by Australian Bushfire Protection Planners Pty Ltd, issued 3 February 2014, and recommends conditions of approval for the proposed development.

The Greens NSW raise a number of concerns with the proposed development including the impact of a development of this size so close to a Marine Park Sanctuary Zone, the likelihood of high morality rate of abalone in the final project and the risk of spreading disease in surrounding waters.

The EPA has completed a review of the exhibited EA and advises that the proponent has not addressed concerns raised by the EPA in the adequacy review regarding potential impacts to receiving waters. Accordingly the EPA is unable to issue recommended conditions of approval for the proposal at this time.

I strongly oppose the proposal for the Abalone Farm. We have opposed it previously and continue to object for the same reasons as before. The current proposal is back with only minor adjustments however of significant concern is that it is now twice as big as the previous plan. I object to this proposal, again because of the risks to the environment including pollution of Port Stephens, risk of disease incubation, destruction of the local ecology, and introduction of heavy industry in an inappropriate location. This plan is a huge mistake and if successful the citizens and future Governments of NSW will pay a very high price as the Port becomes less and less useable by locals and visitors to the region.

I would like to strongly object to the Pindimar Abalone Farm project. From my understanding the Pindimar Abalone Project, now on exhibition, seeks to build a large land based abalone farm and siphon 50 megalitres of water, through the farm into Port Stephens. They are proposing to build this farm not on open ocean but 9km from an inlet to the sea. Abalone farms are incubators of disease as has been expensively demonstrated in Victoria and we object to another source of possible disease being introduced into this fragile, beautiful and valuable location especially in view of the fact that abalone are not a vital food source, but an exotic delicacy that most Australians never eat. These Abalone will all be exported and only make money for a few investors. I would like to propose that we preserve the waters of the Port to enable it to be as clean as possible not only for the current residents but for future generations as well as the very important tourism industry.