THE chances of Barry Beach near Toora biting off a bigger piece of the estimated $40 billion cost of building up to six wind farms off the coast of Gippsland just got a whole lot better.
As revealed in the Australian newspaper on Monday this week, the Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has comprehensively rejected an application to “develop and operate a port facility to serve as a base for the assembly of components for offshore wind farms” at the Port of Hastings as “clearly unacceptable” on environmental grounds.
And the immediate past president of the Phillip Island Conservation Society, Jeff Nottle, believes a movement that has been building over the past decade or so to protect Western Port, which helped defeat plans for both a container terminal and a gas importing facility, has been a major factor.
“There has been a movement of people and organisations ready to speak up and defend the environmental values of Western Port and that’s what we are seeing here,” Mr Nottle said this week.
“I believe that it is a culmination of efforts over the past decade or so to oppose other developments like the container port, rejected by Infrastructure Victoria, and AGL’s gas plant, rejected by the planning minister, where more than $200 million was wasted on failed projects, that has promoted the Federal Environment Minister to intervene early before it fails again.”
In a notice, signed by Minister Plibersek on December 18, 2023, it has been determined that: “The proposed action will have clearly unacceptable impacts on a matter protected by Part 3 of the EPBC Act (relevant controlling provision is Section 16 & 17B – Wetlands of international importance).”
The notice has put paid to the centrepiece of the Victorian Government’s green energy plan for a 600m-long, 100m-wide wharf at the Port of Hastings to act as the terminal for the assembly of wind turbine components bound for Victoria’s offshore wind farms.
Initial estimates by the state-owned Port of Hastings corporation in October priced the project at between $0.8 billion and $1.4 billion.
Not over yet, says Jacinta Allan
While expressing the government's deep disappointment with the decision by the Federal Environment Minister, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said on Tuesday that the state government was confident it could successfully mitigate the environmental impacts of the terminal project.
“We will review this decision and go back to the federal government because we believe that with the right mitigations, you can deliver a project like this successfully,” Allan said.
What Star of the South says
CEO of Star of the South Charles Rattray spoke about the issue on ABC Gippsland radio this week and said the approvals process for ports was a matter for the two governments State and Federal.
He said the while the port of Hastings had been included in their plans, Star of the South had considered a number of options for the construction roles including Bell Bay in Tasmania and Geelong both of which had the necessary infrastructure.
But he virtually ruled out Port Anthony or Barry Beach Marine Terminal taking up the slack after the Federal Environment Minister’s decision on Hastings as the new construction hubs.
He said the Barry Beach terminals would have a big, ongoing role to play, over the 30-year life of the offshore turbines with upwards of 200 people working out of the South Gippsland ports over that period, and during the decommissioning phase.
Using the Barry Beach terminals in a key construction role would require a massive investment in infrastructure which he deemed unlikely.
If Hastings isn’t available as a construction hub, he said Geelong and Bell Bay loomed as the best options, although he acknowledged that with Gippsland shouldering the heavy lifting as far as transmission lines were concerned, and the loss of coal generation, it was reasonable the area should get the lions’ share of the economic benefit.
What the Nationals say
The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, has called on the State Labor Government to back Gippsland jobs and reconsider Barry Beach in South Gippsland as a construction port for the proposed offshore wind industry. Mr O’Brien’s comments came after the Commonwealth Government refused environmental approval for development of the Port of Hastings as the Victorian Government’s “renewable energy port”, throwing offshore wind plans into chaos. "The Federal Government's decision to veto the Port of Hastings as the offshore wind farm construction port puts Barry Beach in South Gippsland squarely back in the picture,” Mr O’Brien said. "Barry Beach should never have been dismissed by the Labor Government so easily in the first place. "While it would also require some dredging, there are few alternative port options for this industry. The Commonwealth's decision confirms what I've always said: Hastings was never as simple a proposition as State Labor made out. "The next closest option in terms of steaming time is Bell Bay in Tasmania and that would be a disaster for Victoria's interests. "If Gippsland is going to see the full benefits of these projects, then Barry Beach must be considered for both construction and operations and maintenance. "If this industry is to go ahead off our coast and with transmission lines through our landscape, Gippsland must get the maximum benefit from jobs and economic activity. “The State Labor Government needs to go back to the drawing board and give serious consideration to further development at Barry Beach.”
What the Liberals say
Labor’s offshore wind plan in disarray Victorians are facing even higher energy prices as the Commonwealth Government vetos State Labor’s proposed Port of Hastings wind turbine facility. The proposed project is key to the Allan Government’s offshore wind plans and would see the assembly and distribution of wind turbines for planned offshore energy farms located off the coast of Gippsland. However, the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has blocked the project over a “clearly unacceptable” risk to local wetlands, flora and fauna. This decision comes as 11 separate Victorian renewable energy projects have been awaiting planning approved for longer than 6 months and households and businesses continue to struggle with ever increasing energy bills. Shadow Minister for Energy, Energy Affordability and Security, David Davis, said: “Victorians continue to be punished for the incompetence of the Labor Government. “This is a debacle and Victoria’s offshore wind policy is now in tatters – meaning higher energy prices for Victorians at a time they can least afford it. “Victoria’s offshore wind policy is now back to square one. How did Victoria, and specifically the Energy Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, not see this coming?” Media contact: Alexander Woff 0434 972 166 alexander.woff@opposition.vic.gov.au
