Fresh By Design has completed the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the new Macquarie Perch Recovery Centre at Snobs Creek, Victoria, for the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
The purpose-built facility has been developed to support captive breeding and recovery programs for endangered native fish species, including Macquarie Perch and Trout Cod.
At the heart of the centre are five independent recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), providing the flexibility and biosecurity required for broodstock management, spawning, incubation, fry and larval rearing, quarantine and health management.
The broodstock room was designed with a particularly high level of operational flexibility. Individual tanks can be supplied from two separate RAS systems as well as source water, allowing Victorian Fisheries Authority staff to allocate tanks according to changing breeding and husbandry requirements while maintaining separation between systems and water sources.
The facility incorporates a range of specialised aquaculture equipment, including Polymaster tanks, FAIVRE drum filters, Pentair Sparus return pumps, UltraAqua UV sterilisation systems, Oasis inverter heat pumps, moving bed biofilters and Sprintex turbo blowers. OxyGuard monitoring and alarm systems provide continuous oversight across both the plant and culture areas.
A central plant room provides consistent filtration and life support across the independent systems, while duty and standby equipment has been incorporated throughout to improve reliability and operational security.
Delivered in close collaboration with the Victorian Fisheries Authority team, the new facility provides a robust and adaptable platform for long-term native fish conservation programs.
The project demonstrates how carefully designed aquaculture infrastructure can support both the highly specialised requirements of captive breeding and the broader goal of protecting and restoring threatened freshwater species.
