We have published new interactive images showing what offshore wind farms could look like from the Gippsland coastline.
The visualisations, available at our Offshore Wind Energy page, show what wind turbines might look like at 10km, 30km and 60km from Golden Beach and Woodside Beach.
These locations were chosen because they are close to the Gippsland offshore wind declared area, which is in Australian Government waters beginning at least 10km from the shore.
The images are for illustrative purposes only and do not show an actual offshore wind farm.
The visibility of offshore wind turbines depends on factors including distance, time of day, cloud cover, weather conditions including mist or haze, as well as the location, size, orientation and layout of turbines.
The Gippsland declared area
In December 2022, the Australian Government declared an area of the Bass Strait off Gippsland as Australia’s first offshore wind zone. Following the declaration, offshore wind developers applied to the Australian Government for feasibility licences.
No feasibility licences have yet been granted for offshore wind development.
For the declared area in the Gippsland region, offshore wind developers had until the end of April 2023 to apply for a feasibility licence. The Australian Government is assessing these applications and provided an update on their preliminary consideration in December 2023.
Developers awarded a feasibility licence by the Australian Government will need to consult on the location and placement of turbines as part of their management plan and to support assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Harnessing offshore wind
Victoria's offshore wind energy generation targets, legislated in March 2024, are:
- at least 2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore generation capacity by 2032 – enough to power 1.5 million homes
- 4 GW by 2035
- 9 GW by 2040.
Offshore wind will:
- create new jobs and career pathways
- boost Victoria's manufacturing and supply chain development
- increase regional investment
- support for our climate action goal of net-zero emissions by 2045.
To view the interactive images, visit the Offshore Wind Energy page.
Page last updated: 26/04/24