Muscling up the Bellarine’s aquaculture industry

08/07/2026

Construction will soon begin on new accommodation for up to 10 Sea Bounty workers in St Leonards.

The housing will help Sea Bounty attract and keep workers as it expands its mussel and oyster farming operations. This is good news for local jobs and the region's seafood industry.

The Bellarine Peninsula is one of Australia's most important areas for sustainable mussel farming. In 2023–24, Victoria's mussel industry produced 1,700 tonnes of Australian Blue Mussels.

Sea Bounty farms and processes around 1,000 tonnes of mussels each year. These are supplied to supermarkets, seafood retailers and wholesalers across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

The business is also expanding into oyster farming, creating new opportunities for growth. In addition, Sea Bounty offers mussel farming boat tours from Portarlington, giving visitors a unique experience and helping attract more tourists to the region.

The new shared housing facility in St Leonards will include 10 bedrooms, two bathrooms, a shared kitchen and garden areas. It will provide affordable accommodation close to work in an area where rental housing is often hard to find.

The project is supported by the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund, which is helping unlock around $370 million in housing investment to support thousands of regional workers across Victoria.