Atmosphere Minister Tanya Plibersek has blocked a port for Victoria’s first offshore wind farm as “clearly unacceptable” due to the danger to fragile native wetlands within the Mornington Peninsula.
The nation’s first designated zone for offshore wind mills was declared by the Albanese authorities in 2022 to be in an ocean mattress 20 kilometres off the coast of Gippsland’s city of Golden Seaside, with the Port of Hastings proposed as a base for the meeting of the wind farms.
Minister Plibersek refused the proposed port facility in Hastings on December 18, saying in a notification of her determination revealed on th surroundings division web site that the undertaking was deemed “clearly unacceptable” underneath nationwide environmental legislation and “can’t proceed”.
Victoria’s Port of Hastings.Credit score: Angela MacDonald-Smith
Australia is a global signatory to the Ramsar Conference on Wetlands, an settlement signed by greater than 170 international locations which pledges to advertise the conservation of wetlands and Plibersek argues in her determination that the Hastings port would threaten native marine, hen and flora.
“The Victorian Renewable Power Terminal Proposal undertaking would have had unacceptable impacts on the internationally protected Western Port Ramsar Wetland,” a spokesperson stated.
The undertaking’s abstract listed many potential impacts together with lack of habitat for migratory birds, potential oblique habitat lose and adjustments to water high quality. Over 10,000 waders and 10,000 geese and swans go to the wetlands all year long .
The overall undertaking space would have taken up 146 hectares from the Port of Hastings, and would have concerned clearing vegetation, dredging and reclamation of the seabed for the wharf, roughly 600 metres by 100 metres extensive.
A Victorian authorities spokesperson stated the state was proud to be creating Australia’s first offshore wind trade which can be “essential for delivering nationwide vitality safety and create 1000’s of jobs”.
“We’re assessing the Commonwealth’s suggestions to find out the following steps,” the spokesperson stated.