Moruya Shellfish Hatchery

Project: build a shellfish hatchery near Moruya Airport to contribute to ongoing, reliable supply of oyster and mussel spat.

Timeframe: mid-2022 to mid-2026.

Status: In progress

Funding: $4.8m grant fund under the Australian Government’s Regional Jobs and Investment Package.

Page last updated: July 2025

Details

We are working to:

  • build a land-based shellfish hatchery to grow the spat to ideal commercial, juvenile shellfish
  • provide aquaculture training facilities for workers and students
  • provide a dedicated research and development space for ongoing scientific breeding and species development
  • provide an export accredited packing centre to meet overseas demand for shellfish.

Benefits to the community:

  • reliable, quality oyster and mussel spat supply for local estuaries and other shellfish industry farmers.

Background

Council signed an agreement with family-run business Sea Perfect (NSW) Pty Ltd, that will see the experienced shellfish supplier design, build, and operate the facility.

The state-of-the-art facility is being built on land at Moruya Airport to breed oysters to supply oyster growers around Australia.

The hatchery building will commence operations in mid 2026.

Project updates

2025

June

  • Contractors completed the wiring and internal painting on the hatchery building.

May

  • Sea Perfect installed the hatchery building windows, doors and all flashings.

April

  • The nursery building was completed, ready for growing oysters.

January

  • Jack Johnson Building and South Coast Decorative Concrete finished concreting the hatchery building floor. Hughes Plumbing and Excavation incorporated drains and slopes to manage any water.
  • Matt Light Roofing and Eurobodalla Cranes helped to erect the hatchery building, with windows and doors supplied by Smart Window Solutions.
  • Sea Perfect installed the water storage pond linings.

2024

December

  • Sea Perfect Pty Ltd is constructing the hatchery/breeding building, which is supplied by Steel Sheds.

November

  • 52nd Earthworx and Haulage were onsite digging water storage ponds.
  • Jack Johnson Building were onsite concreting and building foundations for the hatchery/breeding building.

July-October

  • 52nd Earthworx and Haulage began landscaping and leveling the site.

2023

September

  • The cladding was completed on the nursery building.

August

  • Sea Perfect Pty Ltd assembled the frames on the nursery building.

May

  • The concrete slab for the nursery building was poured.
Image Steel trusses in a pile on the ground with construction worker and concrete truck in the background
May 2023: Construction works on the new nursery building have started.
Image A person using machinery to smooth a concrete slab.
May 2023: The concrete slab for the nursery building has been poured.
Image The Shellfish Hatchery nursery building at Moruya during its construction.
August 2023: Sea Perfect assembling the framework for the nursery building.
Image An excavator digging a large trench.
November 2024: 52nd Earthworx digging the water storage ponds.
Image The building foundations for the Moruya Shellfish Hatchery.
November 2024: The hatchery building foundations concreted by Jack Johnson Building.
Image The Moruya Shellfish hatchery frame construction
December 2024: The hatchery building frame is being erected.
Image Moruya Shellfish Hatchery water storage ponds.
January 2025: The water storage ponds are complete.
Image The completed Moruya Shellfish Hatchery nursery building.
April 2025: The nursery building is complete.
Image Windows along the exterior of the Mourya Shellfish Hatchery building.
May 2025: Side view of the hatchery building.
Image An external view of the Moruya Shellfish Hatchery building.
May 2025: External view of the hatchery building.
Previous Next

More information

To find out more, contact Ian Duthie from Sea Perfect NSW:

  • T: 0409 411 322