Aquaculture concerns at Emu Point

| posted on March 4, 2021

FRIENDS of Emu Point are inviting the public to an open meeting to discuss the proposal of an aquaculture development by Harvest Road Group in the marina. 

Stage one of a development application proposal by Harvest Road has been put forward to the City of Albany for aquaculture development, but local residents of Emu Point are concerned about the impacts the proposal will have on the area. 

Harvest Road is part of Andrew Forrest’s company Tattarang and acquired the former oyster farm Oceans Foods International back in 2020 at Emu Point to remodel and run their aquaculture farming from.

The development will be considered by a City of Albany Development and Infrastructure Services Committee next Wednesday night. Vice-President of the Friends of Emu Point group Kim Snowball said they are not against aquaculture but are looking to keep the area safe.


“It’s about supporting aquaculture but in a way that doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment or the community of Emu Point,” Mr Snowball said. 

“That’s what we’re about and making sure people understand the scale and size of what’s coming so they can have a say.” 

“There are a lot of families that go down there for swimming and boat- ing and fishing,” Mr Snowball said. 

“We just want to make sure that it’s safe to continue to have good access to the harbour and to the marina.” 

In a newsletter on Harvest Road’s website, Chairman of Tattarang Andrew Forrest said the acquisition would also bring bene- fits to the local people of the Great Southern region.

“At Harvest Road Group we believe there is a great opportunity for the aquaculture industry to drive environmentally sustainable economic growth in regional WA,” Mr Forrest said. 

Harvest Road were unable to get back to the Weekender in time for deadline. 

The meeting will be held down at Emu Point Marina on Saturday March 6 at 10am at the Albany Boating and Offshore Fishing Club.