Wind turbines excluded off Phillip Island coast: government 

The Federal Government has officially banned ocean wind turbines off the coast of Phillip Island through to Wilsons Promontory: “The environmental risks associated with developing here are just too great,” said the minister last week.

Offshore wind turbines have officially been excluded off the coast of Phillip Island and Gippsland west of Wilsons Promontory.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen last Thursday spoke at the Gippsland New Energy Conference where he announced the exclusion of the area west of Wilsons Promontory in the Gippsland offshore zone.

In December last year the Federal Government formally declared Australia’s first official offshore wind zone about 15,000 square kilometres offshore from Gippsland, from Lakes Entrance in the east to south of Wilsons Promontory in the west.

At that time Mr Bowen said the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments would consider the Gippsland coast west of Wilsons Promontory “over the coming 12 mon1hs,” including further consultation with Traditional Owners and taking into account community feedback on environmental risks.

However last week Mr Bowen said following community feedback, Phillip Island’s coast was now off limits for offshore wind farms.

“Based on this (consultation) work, I will not be declaring the area west of Wilsons Promontory for offshore wind development,” Mr Bowen said.

“The environmental risks associated with developing here are just too great.

“Victorian Energy) Minister D’Ambrosio and I are in agreement on this.

“So no further consideration wil1 be given to this area.”

Last year Bass Coast Shire and a range of local organisations made submissions to the government’s wind turbine declaration.

Impact

While subrnissions \were fully supportive or renewable energy and offshore wind farms, in the face of climate change, they also highlighted issues for government consideration.

Destination Phillip Island (DPJ) had concerns for impacts on “tourism. recreational and commercial fishing, our community, and the environment, animals, birds and sea life”.

“DPI has suggested the maps exclude the Phillip lsland and Bass Coast areas to avoid these impacts arising,” DPl general manager Kim Storey said.

The shire said they were concerned turbines were too close to shore and would impact “an environmentally vulnerable und sensitive marine environment” including whales and penguins.

Phillip Island Conservation Society’s submission cautioned wind farms needed “to be carefully managed and adverse impacts on the environment need to be minimised.”

The 15,000 square kilometres area from Lakes Entrance to south of Wllsons Promontory has the potential to support more than 1OGW of year-round wind energy generation.

According to The Age, there are now more than two dozen local and international companies vying to secure permits to develop projects off Gippsland.

Star of the South, a proposed 2.2GW wind farm off Port Albert, is the most advanced Australian offshore wind farm plan.