The NSW Government wants to hear from South Coast aquaculture businesses after launching a $20 million program to strengthen the state’s seafood industry.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty and Kiama MP Katelin McInerney at Lake Illawarra on Monday announced the Aquaculture Industry Development Program.

It is designed to boost productivity and increase sustainability across farming operations for oysters, mussels, kelp and algae, plus freshwater and marine fish hatcheries and bioproducts.

This grant program builds on the government’s Aquaculture Vision Statement released last year to deliver a strategic pathway to achieve the goal of doubling the state’s aquacultural farmgate production to $300 million by 2030.

Aquaculture and commercial fishing industries will have access to two targeted funding streams, offering grants from $500,000 to $2m for projects focused on infrastructure upgrades to support growth and productivity, such as equipment, and businesses aiming to reduce carbon emissions and promote reuse and regeneration of materials, such as processing of oyster shells.

“There's significant aquaculture businesses here in this part of NSW, and we want them to have every chance of success and growth into the future,” Moriarty said.

“We want people to apply for support to grow their opportunities for bigger businesses, to grow jobs, to produce more produce here in NSW, and we also want the industry to have support to be even more sustainable into the future.

“We want to be able to reuse and have better environmental sustainability for the industry, particularly examples of reusing oyster shells for agriculture, using carp for also fertiliser opportunities.

“I want to see our aquaculture industry thrive around the South Coast, the North Coast, and everywhere in between.”

NSW Farmers environmental policy advisor Rhiannon Heath said the aquaculture industry “has been facing a number of really significant challenges”.

“Cyclones, floods, water quality issues, disease. So there has never been a more critical time to invest in the industry and build back better.”

OceanWatch CEO, Lowri Pryce said the grants would be well received by commercial fishers “who are looking for new opportunities to develop and innovate, to ensure a sustainable future for their industry”.

Moriarty also dropped by Shellharbour Airport on Monday to confirm a $1.7m investment for Performance Aviation Australia to expanding its operations at Shellharbour Airport.

She said the airport investment would create up to 100 jobs in the region, improve services for maintenance and training, and provide “a really great opportunity for growth in the aviation industry in this region”.