The news comes after the council axed its rates assistance program for Tilligerry Creek oyster farmers and a recent council report stated that the creek was "known as one of the most productive oyster cultivation areas in the Port".

"Recent investment has seen the uptake of these leases to the point where there are few leases left in the area," the council report stated.

H. R. Browne and Sons Tilligerry oyster farmer Glenn Browne, whose family has been in the industry since the 1800s, survived the contamination disaster but said it was unlikely the creek would ever be the harvesting hotspot it once was.

"In 2003-2004 it [Tilligerry Creek] was the most harvested area," Mr Browne said.

"Now the creek is being used in a different way."

He said farmers were surviving by using the creek leases to grow young oysters before relocating them to another site, prior to harvesting, with the Department of Primary Industries still applying 60-day relocation constraints to oysters in the area prior to harvesting. When asked if he thought the cultivation industry would be as successful as the harvesting industry once was Mr Browne was optimistic and said: "Time will tell."

Port Stephens Council, which was instrumental in helping to repair the contamination, said the work was not over yet.

Manager community planning and environmental services, Bruce Petersen said: "A lot of work has been done and water quality has significantly improved, however, there is still work to do on stormwater quality and this [in some ways] is more difficult to address than failing septic systems."