Aquaponics pilot taking off in remote South Australia

Colebrook community in South Australia is taking a creative approach to business and food production by using aquaponics as part of local Community Development Programme (CDP) activities.

Aquaponics involves growing fish and plants in special tanks, where the waste from the fish provides nutrients for the plants.

Project manager Bill Mansell explained that the CDP participants had remodelled the containers and constructed enclosed environments required, and were now well into the food production phase.

“We are currently producing tomatoes, bok choy, basil, parsley and fish farming barramundi, which is a key part of the aquaponics system,” Bill said.

CDP prepares remote Indigenous jobseekers for employment through participation in activities that benefit the local community.

Kerwin Moore is one of the CDP participants working on the aquaponics project.

“I feel good about working with it to learn new stuff like how we test the PH with fish in the system,” Kerwin said.

“We’ve learned how to measure, hand tools skills, and there’s more opportunities to learn more.”

As part of the project, the CDP participants completed a Certificate II in Horticulture and are also undertaking units of competency in Building and Construction.

Bill explained that the aquaponics project was a pilot, which was also being rolled out in Marree and Beltana communities.

“The first stage of the aquaponics pilot program will have initial work undertaken on a daily basis through CDP activities,” Bill said.

“The focus is for food security for the participants and local communities. This may include opportunities for sale of excess produce to local business and consumers.

“The second stage of the project will provide employment opportunities for jobseekers through a commercial operation where our communities can create a viable business or enterprise.”