A new Offshore Artificial Reef for the Tweed is another step closer, with a contract awarded for the design, construction and installation which is due for completion later this year, Mr Provest said today.
Pacific Marine Group Pty Ltd, will construct the 32 concrete modules which will form the structure for the reef.
“The reef will be innovative with various voids and textures to encourage a wide diversity of marine growth and productive fish habitat for a variety of recreationally important fish species,” Mr Provest said.
“The concrete modules will be arranged in clusters around a massive “Fish Grotto” standing 10m high, weighing 90 tonne and boasting a volume of 818m3.
“Like the existing reefs, the Tweed reef will provide complex habitat to increase opportunities to target popular sportfish.
“The Tweed offshore reef will be the State’s most northern reef complex and is likely to be influenced by warm water species.
“The reef will be orientated to catch the prevailing East Australian Current and maximise eddies and upwellings creating perfect conditions for recreationally targeted species.
“In this case, this is likely to include kingfish, cobia, snapper, mulloway and mackerel with the chance of tropical sportfish such as giant trevally, mangrove jack and various emperors.”
The proposed Tweed Heads reef location is a sandy area located approximately 7.5km south east of the Tweed Heads river entrance, between Cook Island Nature Reserve and Kingscliff and approximately 2.5 km off the coast of Wommin Bay in approximately 25 metres water depth.
Reefs have already been installed off Sydney, South Sydney, the Shoalhaven, Port Macquarie, Merimbula, Newcastle and Wollongong. The Tweed reef is due for completion mid-2020 with new reefs for Batemans Bay and Jervis Bay to follow.
The reef is being built using funds from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust and is another great example of how recreational fishing licence fees are being re-invested in projects to benefit recreational fishing.
For more information on Offshore Artificial Reefs in NSW, visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.