Australia Kicks Off Bass Strait Offshore Wind Zone Public Consultation Process

Planning & Permitting

October 24, 2023, by Adnan Memija

The Australian Government has opened a public consultation process on an offshore wind zone in the Bass Strait region off Northern Tasmania.

The proposal refers to an area between Birdport and Burnie, totalling 10,136 square kilometres and located at least 20 kilometres off the north coast of Tasmania.

Submissions to the consultation can be made any time from October 24 until January 31, 2024, according to the Australian Government.

The consultation will include five community drop-in sessions along the north coast of Tasmania and Whitemark on Flinders Island in December, with more sessions to come in late January of next year.

The zone open for consultation is said to be critical to Tasmania’s ambition to get to 200 per cent renewables and help support long-term energy security for local heavy industry in Tasmania.

“The Bass Strait is renowned for its offshore wind resource – and this potential zone could transform Tasmania into a new clean energy powerhouse, spurring investment in Tasmanian communities, providing energy security for decarbonising heavy industry and creating thousands of jobs,” said Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

“This consultation period is vital for communities, industry and businesses to have their say on an offshore wind zone in Bass Strait from its earliest stages, and we encourage everyone to put a submission in or attend a community consultation.”

The government, which has earlier identified six zones, is carrying out consultations as part of the process to officially declare each identified area an offshore wind development zone.

In August, the government revealed that it plans to launch consultations in October for another offshore wind zone in the Indian Ocean region off Perth/Bunbury.

This came shortly after the Pacific Ocean area off Illawarra in New South Wales opened for public consultation to seek feedback on declaring it an offshore wind development zone.

Prior to that, consultations were opened for two more regions, the Hunter and the Southern Ocean, with the first offshore wind zone to be officially declared being the Bass Strait off Victoria’s Gippsland region, which obtained the status last year.