The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has called on the Federal government to award an exploration licence to the Star of the South project off the Victoria coast.
Development of Australia’s first offshore wind farm has been stalled by Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s failure to sign off on an exploration license needed to commence assessment of the wind resource, according to the MUA.
The Department of the Environment and Energy confirmed during Senate Estimates that an evaluation of the project has been undertaken and a plan for the license developed.
The exploration license awaiting approval by the Energy Minister only covers the use of floating buoys and platforms off the Gippsland coast to gather wind and wave observations.
MUA deputy national secretary Will Tracey said: “We have a major wind project that would create thousands of jobs and provide clean, reliable energy for more than a million Australian households, but because of their ideological hatred of renewable energy the Morrison Government appears to be actively stalling its development.”
The Star of the South project comprises up to 250 wind turbines with the potential to generate up to 20% of the state’s electricity needs.
Plans propose that the wind farm would feed power into the National Electricity Market via an underground cable to the Latrobe Valley.
According to the MUA, Star of the South, which has been in the works since 2012, will create up to 12,000 manufacturing and construction jobs.
However, the union, which represents maritime interests from ferries to offshore energy production, said the project “appears to be falling victim to the Morrison Government’s ideological hatred of renewable energy.”
Tracey urged the Federal Government to put in place a plan to support the development of the offshore wind industry, including a clear regulatory framework, along with port infrastructure and specialised construction vessels, to roll out Star of the South.
“This project isn’t just about generating renewable energy and tackling climate change, it’s about creating secure jobs for the future, particularly for workers who are being displaced from the offshore oil and gas industries,” Tracey said.