Wednesday, 22 February 2023

 Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (09:50): A lot is happening, and fast, in the development of the offshore wind industry in Victoria. In December I joined state and federal climate change ministers at the formal announcement declaring Gippsland as Australia’s first offshore wind zone. As a result of that, applications for offshore wind licences in Bass Strait are now open. There are a number of projects developing applications. I have met with the Star of the South project and BlueFloat Energy, and I will continue to meet with other projects to understand the opportunities and challenges presented by the massive task of starting this industry in Australia. Star of the South and BlueFloat aim to install 4 gigawatts of new capacity, powering millions of Victorian homes and jump-starting the necessary generation capacity of clean energy.

These projects will provide thousands of local jobs to the Gippsland region in their construction and operation. These jobs are getting closer and closer, with action from both state and federal Labor governments committed to cutting emissions. When I dropped into the project office in Yarram I was pleased to see Star of the South have already employed locals in their home town, and BlueFloat are doing the same elsewhere. It is crucial to maximise local jobs, not only in construction but also in manufacturing. I passionately believe this investment in the transition will lead to generations of high-paying, high-skilled jobs in our local area. As we transition our energy generation it is essential that we engage widely with project proponents, unions, industry and the local community to maximise the benefits for all, and I am committed to doing that in Eastern Victoria.