Bunbury port buoys offshore windfarm prospects

Western Australia’s government-owned ports and offshore project expertise place it in the box seat to build a substantial offshore wind industry, but consultation will have to improve to get communities on side.

That is the view of Oceanex Energy chief executive Andy Evans, whose company’s proposed two-gigawatt windfarm 20km off Bunbury’s coast is among several major firms casting an eye over the area.

His comments come after Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek in January scuppered a bid to build a port in Victoria’s Gippsland region to service offshore wind farms, including one proposed by Mr Evans’ former company Star of the South, citing environmental concerns.

Mr Evans said Bunbury’s infrastructure, the government’s willingness, and the state’s offshore industry would serve all too well for offshore windfarm construction.

“If you compare it to other ports, the only real equivalent one is probably the port of Newcastle in the Hunter Valley,” he said.

“The difference over there is the wind resource is not as good and given the continental shelf falling away, it is a really small zone to build.

“Add on top of that list, Western Australia has got by far the best major project workforce and mindset.”

Mr Evans said Bunbury port’s long quay, available land, and deep draft gave the region the electric touch, though some upgrades would be needed.

Once a windfarm zone is confirmed, which will likely be smaller than the area being consulted on, companies will be able to claim up to 700 square kilometres for their projects, the first of which would be at least seven years away.

Oceanex estimates some 10,000 jobs would be created by its project during construction if it goes ahead.

Consultation on the 7,674 square kilometre Bunbury offshore wind zone began in February and has been delicate to date.

The federal government has been accused of secrecy for refusing to allow journalists to record during meetings in Peel and the South West last week.

Allegations of abusive behaviour from attendees toward meeting facilitators have also left bad blood.

Mr Evans said government and industry needed to do a better job explaining the projects and process to steer consultation out of the woods.

“It is just a lot of new information, and a lot of the people involved in communicating that information are new to offshore wind themselves,” he said.

“We are seeing a lot of information being targeted at really small community groups who are in a position to be alarmed by information because this is a totally new world for a lot of people.

“If all you present to them is risks, they know nothing else.”

The Bunbury offshore wind zone is one of six proposed sites nationwide.

Federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie is leading the charge against the proposal in WA, claiming the turbines would be built in China, that renewable energy was contributing to higher power bills, and alluding to amenity concerns for the region’s “coastal lifestyle”.

Under plans set out by the federal government Australian-made products would need to be incorporated into any projects, though the scale of such endeavours is not clear.

A CSIRO study released last year showed renewable energy produced cheaper electricity than gas, coal, and nuclear power, even accounting for new transmission lines.

Placed at least 20km off the coast, Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has argued the turbines would not be visible “on most days”.

“On a clear day many people will struggle to see these turbines from the coast with the zone we have put out. On a less clear day you won’t see them at all,” he said.

“This is open for consultation – if people have got concerns about that I’m happy to hear the feedback.

“The two zones that I’ve declared so far, after consultation I have changed the zone.”

The Rottnest Island wind turbine is 20km from the coast and is visible from the mainland on clear days.