Leonard welcomes offshore windfarms

The development of offshore windfarms in Bass Strait is essential if Australia is to tackle the challenge of climate change and reduce our carbon emissions, according to the Voices for Monash candidate, Independent Deb Leonard.

Ms Leonard said South Gippsland was ideally placed to be the site of Australia’s first offshore windfarms, and it would bring with it employment opportunities and much needed investment to many Gippsland communities.

“However, it will be of critical importance to consult with local communities to ensure that issues such as visual impact of turbines are considered as part of the approvals process.

“Climate change is real and it’s having a direct impact on many of our coastal communities.

“Local beaches are being eroded at unprecedented levels, and we are experiencing greater extremes in weather events that lead to fires, drought, and floods.

“The Federal government finally seems to be edging towards allowing offshore development in wind, and if elected, I will be doing everything I can to ensure that the developments go ahead.

“The proposed wind farms are ideally located to be able to feed into the grid at Latrobe Valley.”

Ms Leonard said it is vital that local community residents and landholders expressed their views on where turbines should be sited as part of the consultation process.

“Everyone with an opinion or concern on this should make their views be known. That way we will have some level of community ownership of the process,” Ms Leonard said.

State action

In November 2021, the state government announced $16.1 million had been awarded to The Macquarie Group for the initial development stages of a 1GW offshore wind farm off Bass Coast.

At the time, the Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale told the Advertiser she had met with the group and the project was still in the very early stages and no site had been selected.

Ms Crugnale said it would take at least six years for the project to come to fruition and the offshore wind farm would be 5km from the coast.

“The company will start community consultation in early 2022,” she said.

Alongside the Macquarie Group, the other offshore wind projects supported through the Energy Innovation Fund were Star of the South, and Flotation Energy.

The funding will support feasibility studies and pre-construction development, including environmental assessments, and adds to $96 million the companies are already investing in these projects.

The government claimed the three projects have the potential to create up to 5600 jobs, bring more than $18 billion in new investment to Victoria and power around 3.6 million homes.

The government said wild winds off Victoria’s coastline – which are among the best in Australia and the world – could see the state become an offshore wind powerhouse, driving economic development and helping Victoria reach its target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.