Anthony Albanese vows Labor will consult on offshore wind farms

Anthony Albanese has promised to continue consulting with communities in the NSW Hunter following backlash over an offshore wind project.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Newcastle on Wednesday with local Labor member Sharon Claydon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Stoop

Anthony Albanese has promised to continue consulting with communities in the NSW Hunter region following backlash over an offshore wind project, as one Labor MP stressed the need for “all parties to have their voices heard” when it comes to contentious renewable projects.

The Prime Minister travelled to Newcastle on Wednesday – just a day after Energy Minister Chris Bowen visited the region – and hosed down suggestions there had not been enough consultation over the 5GW Hunter offshore wind zone.

“What we’re doing and what we have done is have an extensive consultation program. There were many, many submissions to it,” Mr Albanese said.

“There were, I think, 17 different community consultations. As a result, some of the project has been changed. It’s gone from 10km offshore to 30km offshore. It has gone from, I think it was 2800sq km down to 1800sq km.”

Mr Albanese said there would be several opportunities for locals in the Hunter to make their views known over the looming development of the wind farm.

“So, we’ll continue to consult, as Chris Bowen was doing yesterday, and continue to engage. That’s appropriate,” he said.

“At the end of the day as well is, of course, a potential of enormous jobs, not just in construction, some 3000, but 1500 on an ongoing basis. And that is important for us.”

Newcastle Labor MP Sharon Claydon backed the project as a job-making opportunity, despite facing pressure from voters in her seat.

“Developing a new offshore wind energy sector in Australia will not only help deliver more renewable energy and thus help the planet – it will also drive regional investment and create jobs,” she said. “For Newcastle, this means new jobs in the local manufacturing, construction, maritime, transport and logistics industries. And it means continued growth of our vocational education and training pathways – our TAFE and our ­university.”

But locals who met with Mr Bowen during his visit on Tuesday were critical of the consultation being offered by the government, given that their calls for the project not to go ahead had been denied.

Imagine Cruises chief executive Frank Future said promises by the Prime Minister to engage were “all a bit too late”.

“I’m upset at Labor. They’re supposed to be the one listening to communities,” he said.

“It’s not even about NIMBYism; it’s just about why we can’t look at how we can actually do something on land like solar.”

The whale-watching operator said the tourism sector and environmental groups were concerned about the impact of the offshore wind farm on whales and other marine life.

“I don’t think Chris Bowen understands some of that in his race to get Australia to (net-)zero carbon emissions,” he said.

Peter Dutton said there was “a lot of internal friction” in the Labor Party over what future energy policy would look like.

“But it’s clear that Chris Bowen is taking our country down a very dangerous path,” the Opposition Leader said.

Labor is also facing local backlash over on-land wind farms in seats such as Lyons in Tasmania, held by Brian Mitchell since 2016.

A proposed 47-turbine wind farm in the Highland Lakes area of Tasmania has prompted concern from community groups over the potential impact to bird species, including the wedge-tailed eagle.

Mr Mitchell said it was critical all parties had their voices heard on high-profile renewable energy projects.

“You can back renewable energy and still take account of community sentiment without calling it NIMBYism,” he said.

“It’s just important people are properly heard.”

Mr Albanese’s assurances to the Hunter community come as Labor faces pressure over other energy projects critical to achieving the nation’s emissions targets, including the Victorian-NSW Interconnector transmission lines.

Hepburn Shire Council mayor Brian Hood said the consultation with the public over the project had “been very poor” and calls for underground transmission lines to be considered instead had not been taken on board.

“It has not been well handled at all; the consultation with the community has been superficial and genuine concerns of community – particularly the farmers – are not being taken seriously,” he said.

“We’re calling for a serious rethink on the whole project.”

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said the project – to build high-capacity 500Kv double-circuit transmission lines across NSW and Victoria – had “torn apart” community trust in government.

It comes as Labor is being pushed to reach net zero even faster, with almost 900 scientists calling for the goal to be reached by 2035.