Australia’s Southern Ocean has some of the best wind resources in the world and is set to play a prominent part in the nation’s energy future.
But in a small town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, opposition to the development of offshore wind farms is fierce.
Chris Carrison is an abalone diver and chair of Southern Coast Ocean Care, a group of Port Macdonnell residents against offshore wind.
“There’s a lot of anxiety in this community right now,” he said.
“Particularly from the cray fishermen and the future of their industry, but just the general public that they’re going to look out of their front yard and see a wind tower in the future.”
In June, Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced public consultation on a zone for offshore-wind development in the Southern Ocean.
It came after BlueFloat Energy, an offshore-wind developer, announced plans for a 77-turbine farm off the coast of Port Macdonnell, pending the zone’s approval.
Mr Carrison said locals were concerned the development could have a devastating effect on the local lobster fishing industry and the environment.
“As mostly professional fisherman and coast dwellers, we’re green to the core, we really don’t have a bone to pick with green energy,” he said.
“I think we have the most to lose. The grounds they’re talking about placing them on is where we catch a vast amount of the southern zone rock lobster quota.
“And it is actually in the path of the blue whale and other creatures that use the Bonney Upwelling to feed.”
Community finding voice
The wind farm zone is proposed to stretch from Warrnambool in Victoria to just past Port Macdonnell in SA, spanning 5,100 square kilometres.
Port Macdonnell has a population of about 850 people, compared to the much larger Warrnambool with 35,000 residents and Portland with 10,000.
Suzie Fulham, who lives just outside Port Macdonnell at Eight Mile Creek, says the area’s small stature has her worried the community won’t be heard.
“There will always be people who are going to oppose something like this when it directly impacts their home, property values, industry and life in general,” she said.
“Clearly, in an area that has a very small population, there’s not going to be as many people that are going to complain and jump up and down as opposed to Sydney or Melbourne.”
A spokesperson for Chris Bowen said the federal government was committed to genuine community consultation and no formal zone had been declared yet.
“Consultations around offshore wind to date have been thorough, and take into consideration all sea users, including co-existence with fisheries and the environment, as well the future energy requirements of this region,” the spokesperson said.
“The minister will consider all evidence from community and industry members during consultation for the Southern Ocean offshore wind zone.”
Coordination needed for future projects
Sven Teske is an expert in offshore wind technology and has helped countries around the world develop their own industries.
He said the Southern Ocean had “class-two” wind resources, putting it into the second highest grouping in the world.
“Offshore wind is possible for a number of countries, but Australia has really good resources,” Dr Teske said.
“We could get almost base-load electricity from wind turbines installed in that region.”
Dr Teske has seen opposition to offshore wind in a number of other countries, including in his native Germany.
He said proper consultation with local communities could help ease unrest and create a thriving, and accepted, new industry.
“It’s very important to actually include the local community very early into the planning phase to take them along and also take on board their input,” Dr Teske said.
“It must be a coordination between different users in the coastal area — with nature conservation, fisheries, shipping lanes and all those different users.
“It is possible to develop a sustainable and long-lasting offshore wind farm that has the support of the community.”
Community pushing for border cut off
South Australian interest groups, including Southern Coast Ocean Care and the SA Rock Lobster Advisory Council, are now pushing for the proposed zone to end at the SA-Victoria border.
Such a change would impact on the BlueFloat proposal, as it would be built almost entirely on the SA side.
A BlueFloat Energy spokesperson said the company valued community input and existing industries in the region.
“BlueFloat Energy is committed to playing a role in Australia’s mission to reach net-zero emissions and delivering real economic and social benefit to the regions in which our projects are proposed.
“From the beginning of our proposed Southern Winds Project, our key priority has been engaging meaningfully and frequently with the community, hosting multiple consultations and proactively seeking feedback.”
The spokesperson for Mr Bowen’s office said if the offshore wind zone was declared, all individual projects would need to undergo a full consultation process before being approved.
Consultation on the Southern Ocean Wind Farm Zone concludes at the end of August.
