Artificial reefs for NSW South Coast

The NSW Government says the South Coast is to receive an offshore artificial after a contract for the project was awarded to Western Australian firm Subcon Technologies. The artificial reef will be ready in time for Christmas, according to a joint statement today by NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, the Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, and the Member for South Coast, Shelley Hancock.

The new reef will be made from a concrete artificial reef module reinforced with steel. It will measure more than 5m high and weigh more than 25,000kg. The artificial reef structure will be made from 20 modules and the modules will be manufactured locally, on the NSW South Coast.

We’re guessing they did the math and figured that trucking 20 or so 25-tonne blocks across the entire country wasn’t the most efficient option.

According to NSW South Coast Member, Shelley Hancock, the reef will cost about $950,000. With one-year fishing licences in NSW currently costing $35 a pop, the cost of the reef is equivalent to 27,142 one-year paid fishing licences.