Bass Coast Shire Council welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement that proposes waters off Gippsland’s coast be utilised for offshore renewable energy projects, such as wind.

This follows on from the Government’s announcement in April that Bass Strait will be the nation’s first priority area to be assessed for suitability for offshore wind developments, which has already generated significant global interest.

There are currently five projects in various stages being investigated off the coast of Gippsland, including the proposal from Corio Generation, which is located off Bass Coast, and has the capacity to reduce emissions - equivalent to taking 1.3 million petrol cars off the road each year.

We all know that there is an urgent need to drastically accelerate the transition of our energy market away from a reliance on fossil fuels. This proposal creates an incredible opportunity for our region, both through positive environmental impacts and the opportunity generated through economic activity. But it will not come without impacts, which is why it is so important for the community to provide feedback to the Federal Government.

We encourage you to have your say on this proposal, your feedback will help inform the Minister’s decision on whether the Gippsland coast is suitable for offshore renewable energy. You can provide feedback online at www.consult.industry.gov.au/oei-gippsland, before midnight on Friday, 7 October. Your submission must be made through this website to be considered.

There will also be three open house drop-in sessions in the Gippsland region scheduled to allow the community to ask questions and discuss the area under consideration. Keep an eye on the above website for the exact dates and times for these.

I was pleased to attend Gippsland’s first ever New Energy Conference last week, which brought a range of stakeholders together to discuss renewable energy opportunities and ways this sector can help provide jobs and economic investment for the Gippsland area. It is an exciting time for Gippsland with a significant amount of projects in the new energy pipeline, that will help us reduce emissions and reach the state’s target of zero net emission by 2050.