Approvals required
Activities that disturb fish habitats may require a fisheries development approval under the Planning Act 2016. A resource allocation authority (a form of resource entitlement) may also be required under the Fisheries Act 1994.
Fisheries development
Activities involving aquaculture or disturbance to fish habitats are considered assessable or accepted development under planning legislation and fisheries legislation.
Activities and categories
- Cultivation of fisheries resources for sale, including aquaculture activities of all sizes.
- Aquaculture
- Trimming, pruning, burning, removing or damaging of marine plants for any purpose and on any tenure and marine plants including mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh and marine algae.
- Marine plant disturbance
- Temporary and permanent waterway barriers including weirs, dams, culverts and causeways.
- Construction or raising of a waterway barrier
Some work, such as the maintenance of existing lawful structures involving marine plant disturbance, temporary waterway barriers or minor aquaculture, may be covered under accepted development requirements, so a fisheries development approval is not required.
Resource allocation authorities
If you are planning fisheries development on state land, you need to obtain the state government's consent before submitting a development application.
You need consent in the form of a resource allocation authority (RAA) from Fisheries Queensland for these uses of state resources:
- tidal aquaculture on unallocated state land (e.g. oyster aquaculture)
- work in a declared fish habitat area
Some works are covered under accepted development requirements and may not require an RAA. Refer to the relevant accepted development requirements documents for guidance.
Further information
For assessable development involving:
- aquaculture;
- the removal, disturbance or damage of marine plants;
- the construction of raising of a waterway barriers; or
- works in a declared Fish Habitat Area;
Please contact your local regional office of the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).
Information on how to lodge a development application, including the use of the online preparation and lodgement system MyDAS, is also available at that website and is supported by SARA.
