07-05-2025
Renewables advocates seek swift progress on offshore wind projects after Labor election win
The re-elected federal government is being urged to get on with establishing Australia's offshore wind industry, with the election result hailed as an endorsement of the renewables rollout.
In the lead-up to the election, opposing Labor's energy plan was a key platform of the Coalition, including
In the Illawarra, the Liberal Party failed to gain ground in any of the three seats adjacent to a zone flagged for the region.
Community renewables group Good for the Gong supports the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone.
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Supplied
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Sophie Walter from pro-renewables community group Good for the Gong said the Australian public had sent a clear message about offshore wind technology.
"Now that the election is over we'll be really pressing the government to get on with it, but to make sure that it's done in a way that delivers benefits to the communities," she said.
"
I think Labor now has a mandate from the Australian public, and the Illawarra public, to move quickly and get these projects underway.
"
Zones underway
The six zones around the country are in various stages of development.
Locations of offshore wind zones across Australia.
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ABC News: Paul Sellenger
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The Illawarra area declared in June 2024 has the potential to generate 2.9 gigawatts of power and is expected to create 870 ongoing jobs.
The government has yet to issue a feasibility licence for the zone, with US energy company BlueFloat putting its application on hold due to the lack of bipartisan support.
Member for the Wollongong seat of Cunningham, Alison Byrnes, bore the brunt of the anti-wind farm lobby throughout the campaign.
But she was comfortably re-elected with a 3.8 per cent increase in her primary vote to increase Labor's stranglehold on the seat.
Alison Byrnes (right) has been re-elected as the federal Member for Cunningham.
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ABC Illawarra: Kelly Fuller
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"We need to wait for the new minister to be appointed and see what the process is going forward on that [offshore wind]," she said.
"
The company that had put in the only feasibility licence had asked for that to be paused pending the outcome of the election, so we'll see where that progresses over the coming month.
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No more 'misinformation'
In the Hunter region, local communities and industry are also awaiting movement on the Hunter Offshore Wind farm.
The federal government awarded a feasibility licence for the project to Novocastrian Wind, owned by Equinor and Oceanex Energy, in February.
It is poised to be the first floating offshore wind farm in the country.
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However, the company also delayed its decision to proceed with the licence until after the election.
In a statement, Novocastrian Wind said it was "still assessing" its plans moving forward.
Photo shows
A map shows Newcastle on the Australian coast, with wind turbines in the sea
Offshore wind offers great promise for Australia, but the industry will have to win an information war to convince some towns to take it up.
Justin Page from the Hunter Jobs Alliance said he was eager to see the back of "misinformation" circulating around offshore wind.
"I think it's time to cut through all the misinformation and actually look at the proper, fact-based assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of offshore wind for the Hunter," he said.
The project is expected to create 3,000 jobs during the peak of construction and more than 200 ongoing jobs, which Mr Page said would benefit the region.
"It's massive for jobs,"
he said.
"But also, to support our manufacturing industries and sectors like Tomago Aluminium, to be able to have clean energy for them to thrive into the future."
Parts of the Illawarra community remain opposed to offshore wind.
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ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez
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Mr Page said the government needed to now focus on upskilling and retraining the region's workforce to work in the renewable energy sector.
"We need to develop pathways for our workers in coal mining and coal-fired power stations to move into the renewable energy and new industry sectors," he said.
"The federal government's already put some policies in place, and we've had a $61 million commitment for a TAFE Centre of Excellence here in the Hunter to facilitate training for those workers.
"
I think with Labor now having another three years in government, we've got the best chance to actually help transition those workers.
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Elephant in the room
The director of the Energy Futures Network at the University of Wollongong, Ty Christopher, said Labor's re-election provided consistency.
Clean energy expert Ty Christopher says companies will be reluctant to invest in the Illawarra until there is a clear plan to upgrade infrastructure.
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ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez
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He said legitimate concerns about the technology and environmental impacts of offshore wind still needed to be assessed.
"All investors want certainty," he said.
"
The election result provides that stability and that certainty for people to commit to their investment here in Australia … whether they are Australian super funds or whether they are overseas investors.
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Mr Christopher said the Trump administration spelled uncertainty for renewables in the United States, but that could be a good thing for renewables in Australia.
"But the elephant in the room that we have to acknowledge here … is Trump's behaviour in the US has created so much volatility and uncertainty that it has scared a lot of global capital out of the United States," he said.
"And what a wonderful thing for Australia, for that global capital to find a home here and to help us decarbonise our lives, decarbonise our industry and become a global powerhouse in renewable energy."
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