Moreton Bay oyster farm survives cyclone with help of wave wall innovation

Friday 4 AprilFri 4 Apr 2025 at 11:19pm

Image of a man swimming in the middle of floating oyster baskets. — Thousands of oyster baskets were pushed out of place, but the farm's floating structure prevented a total loss. (Supplied: Gold Coast Oysters)

In short:

A Moreton Bay oyster farmer designed a floating wave suppression structure that helped protect his farm during Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Queensland's oyster industry has lagged behind other states, but this innovation could pave the way for more successful open-water farming.

What's next?

The Queensland government is reviewing the design's viability, and the farmer plans to share the idea freely with others in the industry if approvals go ahead.

The Moreton Bay islands of North Stradbroke (Minjerribah) and Moreton (Mulgumpin) played a crucial role in weakening Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it hurtled towards the south-east Queensland coast last month.

As the cyclone moved inland, the islands helped weaken its force from a category two system to a category one.

Tucked between the islands and the mainland, an oyster lease in the marine park of Moreton Bay also weathered the storm.

It was shielded not just by geography, but by an innovative wave suppression structure designed to protect the oyster baskets.

Oyster farmer Colin Wren is the architect behind the floating barrier "wall".

Image from above of oyster lease which looks like a rectangle floating on the ocean. — The Moreton Bay oyster lease spans 6 hectares, with 30,000 baskets producing millions of oysters each year. (ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)

"The Queensland oyster industry has been struggling for a bit. There's been no innovation … we've come here, we've looked at the area and just went, 'I think we can make this work,'" Mr Wren said.

Queensland has very few open-water oyster farms, but Mr Wren is defying the odds with his wave suppression wall, which allows him to operate a successful and sustainable oyster lease.

He built the floating structure using 300-millimetre pipes, some filled with foam allowing them to stay buoyant, and others flooded with water to anchor to the sea floor.

Although the design currently falls outside government regulations, the Queensland government is actively reviewing its viability.

Innovative solution

Mr Wren's 6-hectare farm houses 30,000 oyster baskets growing 4 million oysters. When Tropical Cyclone Alfred hit, the structure kept everything safe and secure.

"What that does is, when a wave comes along and hits it at the top, it keeps a bit of heaviness about the pipe so it can calm down the roll," he said.

Image of a man on a boat looking into the distance. — Colin Wren from Gold Coast Oysters helped pioneer Queensland's first flip farm system. (ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)

His engineering skills ensured none of the oyster bag lines broke away, preventing contamination of the marine park and saving the business from catastrophe.

Andrew Robson, president of the Queensland Oyster Growers Association, also owns an oyster farm in Moreton Bay and believes Mr Wren's wave suppression system is the future of the industry.

Image from above of oyster lease with baskets on one side and open ocean on the other. — Calm green water and oyster baskets separated from the open sea by a line of wave suppression pipes. (ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)

"[It's] structurally sound and sets a new standard for the industry … people aren't tying styrofoam boxes together that are floating around the bay," Mr Robson said.

"It looks amazing. It looks safe, it looks clean. But then on top of that, the productivity is so much better."

Open-water farming game changer

With his wave suppression invention Mr Wren has been able to introduce the flip farming method, which is used in estuaries and can be found in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.

"We are the first people in Queensland to be doing the flip farm system. And so far it's been really, really good for the business," Mr Wren said.

"The flip farm, it's got rid of all of the manual handling … we're not tipping baskets. It's a very, very efficient system."

Image of pipes and poles floating on the ocean. — Without barriers to buffer the wind and waves, farming in exposed waters like Moreton Bay wouldn't be possible. (ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)

According to Mr Wren, the flip basket system has proven effective in controlling over-catch and barnacle settlement during spawning, resulting in significantly cleaner oysters.

The mechanised design also reduces manual labour by making it easier to flip the basket, lightening the overall workload.

Image of plastic pipes floating on the water. — The black piping in front isn't waste; it's a custom-built wave wall protecting thousands of oyster baskets. (ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)

Mr Robson said the local industry had remained small for years, with an annual turnover of about half a million dollars — a stark contrast to other states where oyster industries generate tens to hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

"This floating system will revolutionise the Queensland industry. [Mr Wren is] demonstrating this, [through] the speed in which he's producing oysters, [and] the quality of oysters that he produces," Mr Robson said.

"What he's done is basically establish or demonstrate the potential of the Queensland industry … we haven't had a major change in the way oysters are farmed in Queensland for decades."

Collaborative future

Mr Wren has no plans to patent the design of his wave suppression wall as he wants it to be available to the oyster industry.

"When we first started farming in Queensland, we always knew that we had to protect our farm somehow … we had our fleet farm baskets exposed to the wind for four months and our oysters weren't doing anything at all," Mr Wren said.

The Queensland government is funding an engineering and design report for the structure.

Image of an oyster in a hand with a black glove. — Nurtured in open bay conditions, these oysters are built to thrive. (ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)

Mr Robson is hopeful with the state's approval, it will be easier for new growers to introduce the same floating system.

While he admits some back and forth with regulators is taking time, he's confident the payoff will be worth it.

"I hate the word, but it's a game changer for the industry. I think as a result of this, the industry will boom over the next decade," Mr Robson said.