Location for artificial reef revealed

The Shoalhaven area of NSW is set to become the State’s latest recreational fishing hotspot, with the final location for the South Coast’s first offshore artificial reef unveiled on Monday (May 5) by the NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, and Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward.

Ms Hodgkinson said the South Coast artificial reef will be located about four kilometres offshore from Shoalhaven Heads, or about six kilometres from Crookhaven Heads. 

"This exciting project will lure fish, recreational anglers and tourists to the South Coast, providing a welcome economic boost for the region," Ms Hodgkinson said. 

"The reef will feature 30 to 50 giant concrete modules, which will form a series of clusters about 30 metres below the surface of the water that will create the reef. 

"Final environmental approvals are still being obtained, [but] it is expected the reef will be deployed in October this year."

Ms Hodgkinson said the reef will cost about $900,000 to construct and is a great example of how the Government is reinvesting funds from the sale of the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee into projects which directly benefit recreational anglers. 

"This reef has been designed to create new, high-quality fish habitat for a wide range of fish species and other aquatic life, and provide a productive fishing location for boat fishers. 

"Bait fish are expected to colonise the reef, which will then attract larger target species, including snapper and kingfish. 

"Recreational fishing expenditure in NSW has been estimated at about $1.6 billion each year, with about 14,000 jobs created, according to a recent study by the University of Wollongong.

“The study found that recreational fishing on the South Coast alone already generates $395 million in economic output each year and creates about 1800 full-time jobs," Ms Hodgkinson said.

"The reef will be a boon for tourism and r ecreational anglers on the South Coast, being easily accessible from boat ramps within the entrance of the Shoalhaven River including Shoalhaven Heads, Crookhaven Heads and Greenwell Point," Mr Ward said. 

"I know how popular recreational fishing is and its importance to our local tourism economy," he added.

Once the Shoalhaven reef is deployed, the next offshore artificial reef -- which the NSW Government announced in February – will be deployed in the Port Macquarie area.