BETWEEN 15,000 and 20,000 kilograms of barramundi a year and 129,000 herb plants every 28 days are set be produced at a new glasshouse horticulture facility on Sydney’s south-west outskirts.
The produce will be sold through Coles supermarkets in what is a new partnership between the grocery giant and Urban Ecological Systems Australia (UESA), which has established the glasshouse on a seven hectare block at Cobbitty.
The glasshouse is a result of the aquaculture concept devised by Andrew Bodlovich and Hogan Gleeson, which was featured on the ABC’s Inventors Program seven years ago.
At a launch at Cobbitty two weeks ago, celebrating the partnership between UES Australia and Coles, Mr Bodlovich said the venture had “been 10 years in the making to get to this point, and it has taken the work of a lot of very dedicated and passionate people”.
The aquaculture complex produces both herbs and barramundi with zero effluent.
Barramundi waste is transformed into plant nutrients and then feeds the herbs which will include parsley, basil and coriander.
Those herbs will be readily available to Coles supermarket consumers, along with fresh barramundi.
Coles Fresh general manager Greg Davis said Coles was proud to be in the partnership with UESA.
“We know our customers want their food to be grown sustainably and UESA takes sustainable horticulture to a whole new level,” Mr Davis said.
“By safely treating and re-using the fish waste, there is zero effluent and the farm can co-exist comfortably in a residential setting.”
Co-inventor Andrew Bodlovich said by selling the produce through Coles, the system had become a commercial reality.
There are further plans for more innovation down the track, something also made possible by working with Sydney University, which owns the seven hectare block.
“One aim we have is to produce sustainable food and we are now working with Sydney University to produce a sustainable option by converting food waste into insect protein and then processed into fish food,” Mr Bodlovich said.
Addressing visitors at the launch, Sydney University Dean of Agriculture Professor Mark Adams said the initiative represented a true team effort.
“What you see today is a result of a real partnership... it is just delightful to see such a major Australian company taking a lead in supporting innovative food production,” Professor Adams said.
“Food production that is sustainable is undoubtedly the future.
“It is something of a risk, even in the university world, for a Dean like myself to back a venture like this – the university though is a place that embraces risk taking.
“If our universities can’t be risk takers, then there is very little future for innovation in Australia, and I think this is just one of the best examples of how taking a risk can pay off.”
The facility is set to be at optimum production by October.
About 90 per cent of income will come from herb sales to Coles, while barramundi sales will represent 10pc.
UES Australia will sell both herbs and barramundi through marketing partner Edison.
The glasshouse facility was funded through a $1.9 million grant from the federal government through Commercialisation Australia, while UES Australia invested more than $5m in the project.
