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From NT News today,

Farm’s concrete start

GARY SHIPWAY

416 words

28 July 2021

NT News

NORTHT

NTNews

17

English

© News Pty Limited. No redistribution is permitted.

ABOUT 5000 tonnes of precast concrete structures will be provided by long-term Berrimah company All Cast NT for 72 aquaculture ponds as part of stage 1A of the key work on Seafarms Group’s $1.5bn Project Sea Dragon prawn farm.

The work will be carried out over 400 hectares of land at the Territory’s Legune Station near the WA border and will comprise 36 nursery and 36 grow out ponds.

Once completed, the ponds built at Legune Station will have the capacity to produce about 6000 tonnes of premium black tiger prawns each year.

All Cast boss Ray Bails said construction to build the ponds to farm the black tiger prawns started this month.

Mr Bails said the Seafarms project was providing important jobs for Territorians and would continue to do so into the future.

“It’s a massive project and many people probably don’t appreciate its magnitude and what is going on right now,” he said.

“There is a lot of work happening and there is a flow on into the economy which is a good thing.” Another NT company to be awarded a contract is Territory Air Services which is providing air transport for key personnel to Legune Station, where a large workers camp has been set up.

Project Sea Dragon will ultimately see the development of up to 10,000 hectares of ponds for black tiger prawn production facilities.

Seafarms’ biggest shareholders as well as its executive chairman, Ian Trahar, who invested $20m into the recent $92.5m capital raising that gave Stage 1A the kickstart to get the project going, said Seafarms was committed to employing local people and businesses.

He acknowledged the strong commitment for Project Sea Dragon by the federal, Territory and WA governments with infrastructure support.

“At full-scale Project Sea Dragon has the potential to create around 1500 jobs in Northern Australia, including 700 jobs for local people on the ground at Legune Station, 300 jobs at a Darwin-based hatchery and breeding facilities and 500 jobs in Kununurra,” Mr Trahar said.

Agribusiness and Aquaculture Minister Nicole Manison said the Territory’s aquaculture sector had a significant role to play in the Territory’s economic recovery. “Project Sea Dragon will see the very best black tiger prawns grown here in the Territory,” Minister Manison said. “We know how much this will strengthen industry right across the board, build confidence to attract new projects and create more jobs.”

Cheers