The Hunter will next month be unveiled as Australia’s next region open to offshore wind, as Labor moves to accelerate the development of a sector it hopes can aid the country’s transition away from fossil fuels.

The Albanese government has made accelerating renewable energy generation a central focus of its policy agenda. It has set an aggressive target of having zero-emission sources make up more than 80 per cent of Australia’s electricity mix by 2030, which would allow the country to meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.