Community asked for views on offshore wind zone

Published on 28 March 2024

The Moyne Shire community will be asked to share their views on offshore wind developments to help inform Council’s advocacy position.

Mayor Cr Ian Smith said while Council would not be involved in decisions on permits, it could play an important role in advocacy to try and derive the best possible outcome for the community.

“The Federal Government has declared the zone and that may lead to developments in that zone,” he said.

“We want to hear from the community about their thoughts on offshore wind developments, associated infrastructure and what direct economic benefits council should advocate for.”

Cr Smith said Moyne Shire Council is the state’s renewable energy powerhouse and has been involved in renewable developments and planning processes for a quarter of a century.

“Moyne is in a unique position to provide advice about the on-the ground experiences our communities have had with renewable developments and what we would like to see as standard practice for new developments,” Cr Smith said.

“Our teams have 25 years of experience with renewable energy developments – we have very strong connections with Governments and the industry, we are uniquely placed to provide strong advocacy on behalf of the community.

“To do that, we want to know the community’s thoughts and we aim to capture this through this two-week engagement process. It’s a tight timeframe, but we want to have a position formed before the end of April, ahead of discussions with the State and Federal Governments.

Cr Smith said Council was an active participant in the consultation process for the offshore zone, making a submission to the Federal Government’s consultation and had previously made a submission to a State Government policy discussion paper in 2022.

Cr Smith said community members could provide their feedback via Engage Moyne or at a customer service centre until 10am on Tuesday April 16.