Gunditjmara traditional owners slam Energy Minister Chris Bowen over offshore wind zone
Chris Bowen has been accused of a ‘complete lack of appropriate and meaningful consultation’ over the Southern Ocean offshore wind zone.
The traditional owners of the 1030 square kilometre Southern Ocean offshore wind zone declared by the Albanese government last month have condemned Energy Minister Chris Bowen for a “complete lack of appropriate and meaningful consultation”, accusing him of undermining their “sovereignty as land rights holders”.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the Gunditjmara people of southwest Victoria, say that while they support action on climate change, they are concerned that the government has not sufficiently considered the cultural and environmental impacts of offshore wind.
The local Indigenous community’s objections come after Mr Bowen and his Victorian counterpart Lily D’Ambrosio were forced to designate an area which was only 20 per cent of the size of that originally proposed, amid a range of environmental concerns, including over the ramifications for whale habitat.
“The announcement made by Minister Bowen in Portland on 6 March 2024 regarding the designation of an offshore renewable energy zone has been met with disappointment by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation due to the complete lack of appropriate and meaningful consultation between the commonwealth government and the Gunditjmara community,” the organisation said.
“Whilst GMTOAC supports the agenda for environmental protection and climate change, this decision undermines our sovereignty as land rights holders.”
Gunditj Mirring said these concerns were explained to Mr Bowen in two letters and a submission, “where GMTOAC opposed the proposed designated area for offshore renewable energy infrastructure, highlighting the need for further independent research to be commissioned by the government to assess the cultural and environmental impacts of such a designation in this region.”
“Nyamat Mirring (sea country) holds deep cultural value and is fundamental to our wellbeing. As custodians of the land, the responsibility to care for country is deeply rooted in us through our ancestors.
“By excluding us from the decision-making process, the government has not only demonstrated a disregard for our voices, perspectives and rights, it has overlooked an opportunity to engage and learn the true value and history of our sea country from its traditional owners.
“GMTOAC will continue to emphasise the critical importance of meaningful consultation and collaboration with the Gunditjmara community on matters which directly affect us.”
Opposition frontbencher and MP for the southwest Victorian seat of Wannon, Dan Tehan, joined the traditional owners in condemning Mr Bowen for a lack of consultation.
“It beggars belief that Chris Bowen could fail to consult in this way,” Mr Tehan said.
“He has to stop his ideological pursuit of Nirvana and start thinking about what he’s doing to everyday Australians, including Indigenous Australians.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Bowen said the minister had considered all community feedback and stakeholder submissions, including from Traditional Owners, before determining a final area in the Southern Ocean region, and met with the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation in November last year.
“The final declared area includes a 20km exclusion zone from Deen Maar Island, taking into account the cultural heritage significance of the area,” the spokeswoman said.
“The feasibility licence application process also requires further engagement with traditional owner groups.
“It’s important that we establish this job creating industry while also balancing the needs of community.”
Concerns over the Southern Ocean wind zone come as Victoria has struck major difficulties in striving to meet its goals for offshore wind generation, which are integral to the federal government’s net zero targets.
The state government’s plans to build an offshore wind assembly terminal at the Port of Hastings, southeast of Melbourne, are indefinitely on hold, after federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek vetoed it in December, citing “clearly unacceptable” risks to flora and fauna in local wetlands of international significance.
The state has set offshore wind targets of 2GW by 2032, 4GW by 2035 and 9GW by 2040, with the aim of generating first power by 2028.
Energy industry experts from across the ideological spectrum have warned that the targets are likely to take longer to meet and be significantly more expensive than the state government has predicted, highlighting the challenge of attracting investment at competitive prices at a time of high global demand.
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