The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water held community consultation sessions at the Kiama Leagues Club and at Gerringong Town Hall to discuss the proposed renewable energy zone off the Illawarra Coast.

The consultations were to receive community feedback to help frame the structure of the declaration of the OffShore Renewable Energy Zone off the coast of the Illawarra. It is important to note that the declaration will be technology agnostic, not restricted to wind farms only, but could include floating solar farms, a cargo tanker converted to tidal energy, or most likely a mix of energy infrastructure side-by-side.

The Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) would be 1451 square kilometres in size, about 60 kilometres long from Wombarra to Kiama, off the coast at a distance of 10 km from Wollongong and 30 km from Kiama. Offshore wind turbines can be very tall, some up to 260 metres tall. The on-land Dulacca Wind Farm in Southern Queensland was connected to the grid in May 2023 and their turbines stand at 230 metres tall. the tallest wind turbines currently in Australia.

Dulacca WInd Turbine 230 metres tall 

The Bugle attended both sessions, which were informal discussion circles where locals could raise their concerns in conversations with department staff from various areas of expertise.

Most of the public concern raised was for the visual amenity of the wind turbines off the coast affecting property values, and concern about interference with whale migration paths, recycling of materials, and possible death of whales. One resident made a point to The Bugle that locals claiming the view of wind turbines will affect their property prices and tourism visits is “not proven” and flies in the face of the expensive properties and high visitor rates in European sites with wind farms.  

Currently up to 95 per cent of wind turbines are recyclable, with manufacturers reaching 100 per cent within a few years.

One important note to come from the consultation sessions is that the building of any structures by any commercial enterprise is at least seven years away with the granting of a Commercial License by the Minister after receiving for seven years a Feasibility Licence. The proposed BlueFloat Energy wind farm is entirely separate to the Federal Government declaration and cannot be built for at least seven years.

Other companies besides BlueGloat are interested in building offshore wind turbines off the Illawarra such as Oceanex. Part of the plan is to make Port Kembla an energy hub, where electricity could be used to make hydrogen, but new transmission cables may be needed to cope with the greater load.

The department is keen to receive submissions, and you can submit at its portal https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/oei-illawarra

The Department was clear the declaration of the offshore area is the start, and the BlueFloat proposal will only be one of many considered over the next seven years. A number of specialists were available to answer questions and The Bugle was able to speak to someone from Geoscience Australia about the coastal shelf, and a specialist from Environment on whether whale migrations are likely to be affected.

The marine environmental specialist said that there is existing data that proves big floating wind farms affect whales, and such a study would be part of the seven year feasibility license process. 

The consultation period is 60 days and closes at 11.59 pm 16 October 2023.

Legislation could also allow licenses to be granted for offshore solar, wave and tidal energy, or vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). The Federal Government is open to the idea that an offshore energy farm might use a variety of power-generating technologies side-by-side.

Arthur Rorris, Secretary of the South Coast Labor Council, told The Bugle “We have been proposing making a wind farm off our coast using local steel and local jobs for 15 years. I have attended every community session I can, and I think there is more community support than opposition. Concerns about how to do the project are understandable, but outright opposition is rare, and usually based on very entrenched political views.”

Former Kiama Councillor Howard R. Jones and Foxground resident, who was waiting outside the Gerringong Town Hall when The Bugle arrived, said “The climate crisis is getting so urgent, we need to get on with these projects and switch off coal. Anyone worried about the look of a wind farm should go to the Hunter Valley and see entire areas covered in coal dust for open coal mines and the pollution for coal-burning power stations.” 

“It's an existential threat and we need to think more broadly about the issue than worry about blinking lights on the horizon. Health issues from particulates from coal mines and stations is a real issue right now.”