Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson moved to clear up any misunderstanding over the $900,000 reef, which was deployed in 30-metre deep water about four kilometres from shore this week.

Ms Hodgkinson’s comments came after recreational fishing advocate Melven Brown told the Mercury the structure had been ‘‘stolen from Wollongong’’.

Mr Brown, a 15-year member of the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing, said he understood a site just south of the Five Islands at Port Kembla had initially been selected.

However, Ms Hodgkinson said the Shoalhaven artificial reef was a separate project, including in terms of funding and design, and was ‘‘not linked in any way to any other sites’’.

She said proposals for a reef in the Port Kembla area were part of a larger project involving potential reefs – made of steel – off Sydney, Port Kembla and Newcastle.

‘‘The state’s first offshore steel artificial reef was deployed off Sydney in October 2011 as part of this original proposal,’’ Ms Hodgkinson said.

‘‘Commonwealth restrictions at that time did not permit additional steel reefs to be installed off Newcastle and Port Kembla until monitoring till April 2015 had been completed. 

‘‘Observations from the Sydney and Shoalhaven reefs will contribute to future considerations for possible [artificial reefs] at Port Kembla and Newcastle.’’

Ms Hodgkinson said expressions of interest for what is now the Shoalhaven reef were sought and received in 2012.

Testing and environmental studies revealed the Shoalhaven was the ‘‘most suitable site’’.