Proposed Windfarm in Illawarra Will Impact Lobster Industry, Marine Life: Veteran Farmer

General view of the Walney Extension offshore wind farm operated by Orsted off the coast of Blackpool, UK, on Sept. 5, 2018. Phil Noble/Reuters

A federal proposal to build wind turbines off the coast of New South Wales (NSW) will decimate the lobster industry and impact the migratory patterns of marine life such as whales, a veteran lobster farmer has revealed.

Mark Horne, a lobster farmer with over 20 years of industry experience, said the government’s proposed wind farm area, which covers 1,500 square kilometres and is located just 10 kilometres off the coast of NSW in the Illawarra region, will be an “environmental catastrophe,” particularly to marine life.

“These electrical currents on the bottom of the ocean [from the wind turbines] has already been proven to put some species in an act of stupor where they’re sort of stunned,” Mr. Horne told 2GB radio on Oct. 20.

“And if this interferes with the migration of our lobsters north to the breeding grounds of Coffs Harbour, we may have a collapsed fishery where we have no lobsters getting through for reproduction,” he said.

Exclusion zones around the proposed turbines would also affect charter and recreational fishing, which would be detrimental to the Illawarra region and its tourism, the lobster farmer said.

Mr. Horne explained that moving his lobster business further north or south of the proposed area may not be an option due to infrastructure costs.

“I can’t justify the risks that this government wants to take with the environmental catastrophes of migratory species through these zones,” he said.

In August, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the Illawarra region was identified for its strong offshore wind potential and that building turbines would power Australia for “generations to come.”

He estimated the project could generate up to 4.2 GW, enough to power up to 3.4 million homes.

Mr. Bowen has announced that he will provide an additional 30 days, up until Nov. 15, for public submissions on the proposed area.

However, the energy minister has been criticised by Mr. Horne for not attending information sessions on the project, particularly on sessions that highlight its consequences.

Hunter Region Wind Turbine Site Facing Public Pressure

In July, the Albanese government also deemed suitable an offshore wind farm off the Hunter region along the NSW coast, just north of the proposed Illawarra wind farm site.

The declared area stretches over 1,800 square kilometres between Norah Head and Port Stephens and could generate up to 5 GW of wind energy, enough to power an estimated 4.2 million homes.

Mr. Bowen said energy production from the Hunter site was expected by 2030.

“This is an important part of a suite of measures which will position Newcastle and the Hunter as a clean energy hub, including an $100 million investment to ensure hydrogen readiness at the Port of Newcastle. Newcastle has a bright future,” Labor MP Sharon Claydon said.

However, shadow minister for climate change, Ted O’Brien, said the Albanese government needed to reconsider the Hunter Offshore Wind Zone.

“Impacted communities are angry and for good reason: they face the prospect of 260-metre-high wind turbines across their pristine coastline, following a flawed community engagement process,” Mr. O’Brien said in an Oct. 9 statement.

The shadow climate minister said that the public consultation process was flawed and that many locals were not even aware of the consultation.

“I heard complaints about limited in-person briefings and how those who attended them left with more questions than answers,” Mr. O’Brien said.

“Residents outlined deep concerns about the environment, worries for the migration pathway of humpback whales, the threat to local tourism businesses, and risks to local commercial and recreational fishers.”

However, Mr. O’Brien said that once the Albanese government learned that he had been consulting with concerned locals, the government’s energy minister then announced a “Community Engagement Review” to improve engagement on the ground.

“But, much to my dismay, Minister Bowen proceeded to declare the Hunter Offshore Wind Zone the following week,” Mr. O’Brien said.

“The contradiction was stark. Labor knew its community engagement process was flawed yet they still used it as the basis for declaring an offshore wind zone, despite serious community angst.”

However, Mr. O'Brien said having offshore wind as a source of energy was not the issue.

“Every technology has its pros and cons which is why an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach is needed so a balanced mix of technologies ultimately prevails,” he said.

“Residents of these communities want climate change tackled and they see renewables as part of the solution, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to cop their way of life being jeopardised or their local economy and environment trashed.”

So far, only two regions have been declared suitable areas for offshore wind turbines—Gippsland in Victoria, and Hunter in NSW.

In August, the South Australian government opposed the Commonwealth’s proposal to build a wind farm in the Southern Ocean from Warrnambool in Victoria to Port MacDonnell in South Australia.

According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW), offshore wind farms play a crucial role in net zero policies as the country transitions to renewables.