THE community organisation Responsible Renewables has praised the new boundaries of Victoria’s offshore windfarm zone for no longer including parts of South Gippsland.
The new zone no longer takes in ocean west of Wilsons Promontory. The Gippsland offshore wind zone was announced in the week before Christmas by federal Minister for Climate change, Chris Bowen, and the Victorian state government, and is supported by Wellington Shire Council.
Responsible Renewables is a community collective concerned about proposals to build windfarms just six kilometres off the Gippsland coastline. The organisation was co-founded by Robert Boelen, a resident and engineer from Waratah Bay in South Gippsland.
Laura Jennings from Responsible Renewables welcomed the news, but said there was a lack of clarity around future plans for the west of Wilsons Promontory
“While we have not had direct engagement with Mr Bowen’s office since our initial consultation last week, we are buoyed by this update. It would seem common sense has prevailed for the moment, with planners realising the level of community and scientific concern with wind turbines being located perilously close to the Prom and other pristine coastline,” she said.
“With 15,000 square kilometres being declared along the Gippsland coast alone, it is unclear why there would need to be any consideration for extending the zone. (The developer) Star of the South is currently proposing that 500 square kilometres can deliver 2.2GW – meaning the entire declared zone can deliver well beyond the state government offshore wind target of 9GW by 2040. We call on the government to expressly rule out wind turbines within 50 kilometres of the coast between Phillip Island and Wilsons Prom.”
Ms Jennings said all parties involved need to continue to ensure that plans to invest in renewable energy sources were not done at the expense of the environment itself.
“We anticipate this will be a major issue for investors, planners and policy makers as the nation attempts to reach its net-zero-by-2050,” she said.
“We welcome the government’s intention to properly undertake the consultation process with all interested stakeholders – including experts able to independently assess risks in line with the government’s renewed focus on environmental and biodiversity protection.
“We look forward to further consultation with all levels of government and opposition.”
Responsible Renewables has said it will continue to “lead the dissemination of information to stakeholders, which includes local residents, businesses, and nature and conservation groups”.
