PORT oyster growers still reeling from the devastation of the April storms were given a badly-needed shot in the arm recently through a workshop coordinated by the Hunter Local Land Services (LLS).
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Around 40 farmers gathered at Diemars' Soldiers Point site to discuss sustainability, profitability and recovery.
"Many farmers in Port Stephens are planning how they will rebuild after the storms. Our role is to help them take stock of what they have and work with them to better plan their future," said Joe Thompson, LLS regional co-ordinator.
"We do this through ... a farm profile, which is a detailed overview of an operation, in this case oyster growing, identifying opportunities to improve the sustainability and productivity of the business.
"The meeting was also a chance for growers to network, share ideas, learn from each other and build relationships so that they can deal with future challenges together," Mr Thompson said.
Robert Diemar said every oyster grower in the Port suffered some degree of loss or damage as a result of the April 21 super storm.
"Oyster growers already work under difficult circumstances and when something like this comes along it takes a lot of time, money and effort to recover," he said.
"It took five to six weeks just for the water quality to become safe again, then there's the loss of stock and damage to infrastructure. For many it will take more than a year to get back to where they were before the storm."
Mr Thompson said that representatives from WorkCover and the Select Oyster Company (SOCo) were also there to talk about rebates on offer and the government assistance available to growers.
The meeting followed a visit earlier this month by NSW Governor David Hurley and Brigadier Darren Naumann, the appointed regional recovery co-ordinator for Hunter and Central Coast, at Lemon Tree Passage.
