On 14 August 2023, the Australian Government opened consultations to the public on the benefits and effects of future offshore renewable energy projects in the Illawarra region of New South Wales from Wombarra in the north, down to Kiama in the south (Proposed Area).
Development in this Proposed Area would be able to deliver up to 2,500 jobs during the construction phase and 1,250 jobs ongoing.
In this article, Special Counsel Alison McKee and Solicitor Jess Beater from HopgoodGanim’s Resources and Energy practice, outline how to make a submission on the Proposed Area and the cut off for consultation.
Illawarra is the fourth area to be considered as potentially suitable for large-scale offshore wind projects. The first suitable area was declared in Bass Strait off Victoria’s Gippsland coast, with a subsequent area in the Pacific Ocean off the Hunter Region in NSW being declared in July 2023. The third area is the Southern Ocean Region off Victoria and South Australia, which has now completed public consultation.
We have recently discussed updates on the other declared areas, available on our website.
How to make a submission?
To make a submission on this Proposed Area, you will be required to:
- read the consultation documents;
- attend the community information sessions; and
- complete the survey.
Consultation closes on Monday, 16 October 2023 at 23.59 AEDT.
The Minister will consider public submissions to help inform his decision as to whether the Proposed Area is suitable for offshore wind development.
Map:
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Map of Illawarra region proposed area.
We will continue to monitor this and provide updates as they become available.
If you would like more information, please contact our Resources and Energy team.