The Victorian Government has committed $96 million as part of its ‘More piers, jetties and opportunities for little anglers’ election policy which includes $15 million to expand the Arcadia and Snobs Creek fish hatcheries.
The Arcadia native fish hatchery and Snobs Creek hatchery expansion projects will significantly increase the production capacity of the hatcheries to meet the growing demand for recreational fish stocking with particular emphasis on Murray cod, golden perch, Macquarie perch and trout cod.
Arcadia Expansion
The expansion at Arcadia has been delivered in time for the 2025-26 native fish breeding season. The expansion now sees the Arcadia native fish hatchery’s annual production capacity tripled to over 6 million fish, comprising predominantly Murray cod and golden perch. The expansion has increased the number of production ponds from 30 to over 125, extended the fish processing and fish hatchery buildings and built 50ML water storages to capture and re-use water throughout the farm.
On top of the traditional production ponds, a series of custom designed production ponds have been constructed for threatened and endangered species such as freshwater catfish.
A dedicated office/admin area has also been built for the VFA staff located at the hatchery. The new, modern area is attached to the main fish hatchery building and replaces the temporary facilities staff had been using since the property was purchased by the VFA in 2021.
Snobs Creek Expansion
Once completed, the expansion of the Snobs Creek fish hatchery will deliver a dedicated Macquarie Perch Recovery Centre capable of producing up to 500,000 Macquarie perch and 500,000 trout cod each year for stocking into Victoria waterways.
The Macquarie Perch Recovery Centre will use cutting edge recirculating aquaculture technology and equipment to manipulate water temperature, oxygen levels and ambient light intensity to create the optimal breeding conditions for each species. On ground works began in June 2025 on the construction of the new Macquarie Perch Recovery Centre Building, while offsite fabrication of its custom-built aquaculture system also began in the same period. Practical completion and commissioning are expected by late 2025.
