The redclaw industry could be poised to boom

by JOE HINCHLIFFE

A sustainable industry which produces a high-value, native protein is poised to enter its next generation in the same place in which it was born – the Scenic Rim. 

Or that’s the vision of a father and son team of engineers turned off-grid redclaw farmers at least. 

But according to the man who pioneered the industry more than four decades ago, they will have to overcome many challenges first.

Peter and Alex van Velzen are in the midst of million dollar earthworks transforming their Tabragalba property from cattle to crayfish country.

After what father Peter described as a two-and-a-half year struggle against bureaucracy, they have just received their first batch of 10,000 tiny craylings and constructed their main 120 megalitre dam. Now they just need to add water. 

And if La Niña does deliver on its drought-breaking promise, the van Velzens say they are perfectly positioned to capture that rain. 

Having dammed half a valley running from the Birnam Ranges to the Albert River, they calculate that 85 millimetre falls on saturated soil would be enough to fill their main dam.

“One big storm, and we’re in business,” Alex said. 

Alex and Peter van Velzen in front of their newly constructed 120 megalitre dam.

The young chemical processing engineer said the property’s rain-catching topography and heavy clay soil make it ideal for aquaculture. 

“I looked at 130 farms over nine months from Gympie and Toowoomba down towards NSW,” Alex said.

“I ended up finding the perfect one 10 minutes down the road from mum and dad’s farm.”

The van Velzens have brought the permaculture principles they applied to their Tamborine fruit farm with them.