Leasing, Licencing and Permits

​​​​​​​​​​​Aquaculture operations in Tasmania take place under lease, licensing and planning arrangements. Get guidance and make an application to obtain or amend a permit, lease or licence.

About the Application Process 

​Making an application relating to a lease, licence or Marine Farming Development Plan should always occur alongside c​onsultation with the Aquaculture Branch, who will provide assistance and advice tailored to individual applications. As a general guide, before marine farming operations can begin, operators must:

  • be familiar with the existing Marine Farming Development Plan covering the area of interest, which contains information about each aquaculture zone and the management controls regulating that zone area
  • acquire a marine farming lease (this can also be via a sub-lease arrangement)
  • acquire a marine farming licence that may include a police check
  • conduct any environmental studies that may be required 
  • pay any associated fees and levies (cost information can be found on the individual lease and licence pages)
  • have access to an established authorised shore base or the relevant authorisations to establish one (note: shore bases may be regulated by Biosecurity Tasmania and require a Crown Land lease/licence to allow foreshore access).

Leasing

Marine farming leases allow aquaculture operators to apply for a marine farming licence to conduct activities in Tasmanian waterways. Leases are granted for areas within marine farming zones​.​

Learn more about leas​​​​ing​.

Licencing

Marine farming licences are required to undertake aquaculture activities within a marine farming lease. Licences outline the terms and conditions relating to how a marine farm is operated.

​Learn more about licencing​.

​P​ermits

Permits authorise specific activities to take place in Tasmanian marine state waters, that are not otherwise permitted under existing legislation and include conditions relating to the authorised activity.
      
Learn more about permits.

Preparing or Amending a Marine Farming Development Plan​
From time-to-time, aquaculture operators may wish to establish new farming zones in Tasmania or make an amendment to existing zoning arrangements. 

In such instances, they must either request approval to prepare a new draft plan or to amend an existing plan. This can be a complex action involving several non-statutory and statutory processes, and so proponents are encouraged to contact the Aquaculture Branch to discuss their proposal before proceeding. 

Learn more about preparing or amending a Marine Farming Development Plan or contact the Aquaculture Branch for more information. 

LISTmap

The Land Information System Tasmania (LISTmap) is provided by the Tasmanian Government as a publicly available resource. 

It contains spatial data and links to regulatory documentation for a range of industries, including aquaculture, and allows users to create personalised maps of Tasmania using authoritative information. 

LISTmap contains information about Marine Farming Development Plan areas, marine farming zones, leases, licences and ShellMAP areas, which can be found within the Primary Industries layer category.

Information about using LISTmap can be found on the LISTmap help document.