NT cattle station signed over to prawn developers for Project...

NT cattle station signed over to prawn developers for Project Sea Dragon

ABC Rural
By Tyne McConnon

Updated about an hour ago Mon 16 Feb 2015, 1:42pm
PHOTO: As part of the Project Sea Dragon, Seafarms bought these Exmouth facilities in Western Australia for spawning adult prawns in 2013. (Robert Bell)

Legune cattle station in the Northern Territory looks set to become home to one of the world's largest prawn farms.

An agreement has been signed by the company Seafarms Group Limited over the 180,000-hectare station near the Northern Territory and Western Australian border.

The three-year Access and Option Agreement allows Seafarms to start applications for the land tenure, approvals and licences for the farm.

It also gives the company the option to purchase the station at a predetermined price at any time during the three years.

The proposed farm, known as Project Sea Dragon, could see the development of up to 10,000 hectares, which is expected to produce over 100,000 tonnes of black tiger prawns each year.

The company, which was formally known as Western Australian Resources Limited, said the total construction of the project would be about $1.45 billion.

In October 2014, it would not confirm nor deny its interests in Legune. However, it did say it was looking at two properties on the WA-NT border.

Project Sea Dragon has already seen the purchase of land and infrastructure in Exmouth on the WA coastline in 2013.

It is expected the entire Project Sea Dragon will include operations in Darwin, Kununurra, Wyndham, Exmouth and Legune and will employ 1,600 full-time staff.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/world-class-prawn-development-for-nt-cattle-station/6117556