Offshore wind zone in Bass Strait ‘a worry for whales’

Concerns over the safety of whales, dolphins and seals have been raised by environmental groups following the announcement the Bass Strait will be made an official ‘offshore wind zone’.

Two hundred turbines would be installed off Gippsland as part of the Star of the South project.

Concerns over the safety of whales, dolphins and seals have been raised by environmental groups following the announcement the Bass Strait will be made an official “offshore wind zone”, with tourism bodies also raising alarm over their business being disrupted due to the turbines.

It follows the Tasmanian Environmental Protection Authority ruling last week that a $1.6bn wind farm proposed for Robbins Island, in the state’s northwest, would need to shut for five months each year to avoid impacting migrating orange bellied parrots.

Those same parrots prompted the federal government to reduce the size of the nation’s first offshore wind zone announced on Monday and confirm “fly zones” would be expanded for the ­migratory birds.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s said the declaration of the 15,000sq km area as Australia’s first offshore wind zone would help the country “catch up” to the rest of the world, which had already progressed on offshore wind as a clean energy source.

Mr Bowen also confirmed that the Star of the South Offshore Windfarm Project would be granted “major project status”, paving the way for the construction of 200 wind turbines to be built off the Gippsland coast.

To address concerns over the visual and environmental impact of the turbines, Mr Bowen announced no offshore wind project in the area could come within 10km of the shore.

He also confirmed that areas to the south of the initial proposed site had been removed from the official zone, because it “did not receive the same level of support as the proposal to the east”.

“Now that doesn’t mean it will never be declared. It means that we will continue to work with the community (and) take issues on board,” he said.

 

Australian Marine Conservation Society campaigns director Tooni Mahto said the impact of any such development on the marine environment needed to be closely considered before any turbines were built. “The area proposed is likely to be important habitat for southern right whales, listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it is critical any offshore development is sited to avoid disruption for this species,” she said.

President of the local Phillip Island Conservation Society Jeff Nottle also raised concerns that the vibrations and noise from the construction of any offshore wind farm would severely impact whales and dolphins.

“They’re very dependent on the hearing system and use if for communication between themselves and orientation and finding prey,” Mr Nottle said.

He said building the turbines onshore before floating them out to the project’s location could mitigate some of the impacts.

South Gippsland mayor Nathan Hersey said the construction of the turbines could impact not only the environment but local industry, and urged for greater consultation with the community.

“The council made a submission … in October outlining numerous concerns about coastal and environmental impact, visual amenity, proximity to Wilsons Promontory and our coastal communities and the need for housing supply to accommodate workers and growth associated with any future project,” he said.

“The change is welcome, however, as Minister Bowen has clearly not ruled out a return of the originally proposed area to the offshore wind zone in the future.”

A spokesman for Mr Bowen said all offshore wind projects would need to go through rigorous approvals.

“Proponents looking to develop offshore renewable energy will need to develop a management plan that addresses, among other things, matters of environmental management such as marine impacts,” he said