A major planning project initiative was announced at the March meeting of the Victorian Recirculation Aquaculture Systems Network (RASNET) held at the Marine and Freshwater Resource Institute at Snob's Creek near Eildon . 

Anthony Forster, Manager of the Fisheries Victoria Aquaculture Section announced the appointment of Ratio Planners to develop planning approval

Pictured: Anthony Forster -Manager of the Fisheries Victoria Aquaculture Section (Left)
and Tony Mclennan - GAIN Chairman
Photo: Graeme Blackman - GAIN

guidelines and protocols to assist Local Government authorities to develop a consistent approach to aquaculture development applications.  The Ratio Planners team will be headed up by Andrew MLeod who will be assisted in his task by well known and widely respected aquaculture identities, Antonio Mozqueira and Tim Harding.  It is expected that the process will take approximately 6 months to come to fruition.

Anthony Forster noted that the project addresses two critical tasks identified by the Victorian Aquaculture Regulatory Review Taskforce being;

Recommendation 3.1 - Development of Aquaculture Planning Guidelines; and

Recommendation 3.2 - Guidelines for closed system aquaculture to be an "as of right" activity in light industrial zoned areas.

The initiative was well received by all within the industry.  The development of a consistent regulatory treatment of the industry has been widely called for by GAIN since its inception.

Well done Fisheries Victoria!