Australian Government Approves Fourth Offshore Wind Zone

The Australian federal government has approved its fourth offshore wind zone, this time located off the coast of Illawarra. Previously, designated wind zones were established in the Hunter region of New South Wales (NSW), Gippsland, and the Southern Ocean in Victoria.

However, the newly declared Illawarra offshore wind zone has been reduced in size in response to community concerns. The zone now extends from Stanwell Park to Kiama, with its area decreased from 1,461 km² to 1,022 km². Turbines will now be situated 20 km from the coastline.

The revised zone excludes several environmentally sensitive areas, including the biologically significant region for the Little Penguin, the Shelf Rocky Reef, and the Southern Right Whale Migration and Reproduction Area.

As a result, the capacity for offshore wind generation has been reduced from the original 4.2 GW to 2.9 GW.

BlueFloat Energy was the first company to propose an offshore wind farm off the Illawarra coast before the revised zone was announced. However, they withdrew their application following opposition from the local community.

The original plan included 105 turbines with diameters of up to 275 meters, situated 14 to 30 km off the Illawarra coast.

After Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the reduced zone, BlueFloat Manufacturing’s general manager Dave Scott stated that the company's project would not be completed by 2030.

The proposal faced significant opposition from local residents who were concerned that the turbines and their red warning lights would disrupt the natural beauty of the coastline.