A new project to create Sydney, Australia’s first purpose-built artificial reef has been announced.
The proposal is the brainchild of the Gordon’s Bay Scuba Diving Club. The aim is to create a new dive site and world-class artificial reef by scuttling a decommissioned ship.
The team behind the project hopes the wreck will become a haven for wildlife and will boost marine biodiversity in the area. The planned location of the new wreck site is 4km/2.5 miles southeast of Coogee Beach.
The local marine ecosystem is expected to receive a boost, since it aims to have a strategic connection to Wedding Cake Island via an Offshore Artificial Reef (O.A.R.) system. This connection is expected to attract a diverse range of species, including kingfish, snapper and mulloway.
In terms of finances, the Sydney Dive Wreck Project is expected to have an upfront cost of AU$6-10 million. However, on the back end, the project is expected to generate between $12.4 million and $48.6 million over five years in diver-related revenue.
While the numbers appear to exhibit a wide variance, they also do not encompass income from a diverse range of sources, including charter operations, equipment rentals and hospitality services.
The project is garnering widespread local support, with a petition to approve the project gaining over 14,000 signatures. These include 4,000 signatures from residents of Randwick City.
Many local businesses and tourist operators also support the project.
