Tuesday, 29 August 2023

South-West Coast electorate wind farms

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (13:04): Portland is home to a complex and unique marine ecosystem, and the community are rightly concerned about any development that may irreparably damage the environment in the name of the environment. Locals want confidence offshore wind farms will not affect the marine ecosystem. Community has every right to expect the highest standard of regulatory oversight and scientific rigour to be applied. They deserve to be absolutely confident that risks are mitigated. The Bonney upwelling at Portland, for example, is so unique. It is a matter of national environmental significance. It is the largest upwelling in south-east Australia, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface, feeding the region’s marine life. There are only 12 like it worldwide, and the whales are known to trust it as a feed source. Yet we have not heard the government talk about it once, and we know the risks are largely unknown.

The government are not even conducting consultations with the community in good faith. They have just told the community what is happening in the middle of the consultation process. That is not consulting, that is announcing. The government’s pattern of behaviour has seriously eroded community trust. Secret deals and corruption like the deal with AGL only last week are how this government operates. The government has already railroaded through planning applications for onshore wind farms; we just cannot let the same happen to offshore wind farms as well. Ultimately I cannot back an offshore wind farm until the current government proves without doubt there will be no environmental impact, and can prove they have been totally honest and transparent with their studies.