Offshore wind energy is a key pillar in Victoria’s renewables transition.
Offshore wind energy projects will bring many benefits to the communities that host them, but also some impacts. We will work with impacted Victorians to address their concerns and to deliver lasting, shared benefits to these communities.
Partnering with Traditional Owners and engaging with community
We understand the importance of partnerships, consultation, and feedback in this process. That is why:
- We are building partnerships with Traditional Owner Corporations who may be affected by offshore wind development and supporting them to engage. This includes Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Aboriginal Corporation and Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation. Strong partnerships with Traditional Owners are important to the program’s success and will help us understand offshore wind’s impact on Country and Sea Country.
- We will consult with communities, workers, unions, affected businesses, the energy industry and port operators to design our approach.
- We will minimise the impact of development and fairly share the benefits with them.
Why Gippsland and potentially Portland?
Parts of Victoria’s coastline are well suited for offshore wind farms. Studies show that waters off the coast of Gippsland and Portland have the potential to support 13GW of power. That’s because these areas have:
- strong and consistent wind speeds
- a large area of shallow ocean – less than 50-60 metres deep – which is suitable for fixed-platform turbines (the most common technology used overseas)
- ports that can support construction, operation, and maintenance
- a strong transmission grid that can be accessed.
While these areas have been identified as well suited for offshore wind, farms can only be built in areas approved by the Australian Government. That's because offshore wind farms are built in Australian Government waters which start 5.5km from the Victorian coastline.
Declared offshore wind zones off the coast of Victoria
The Bass Strait off Gippsland spans approximately 15,000 square kilometres in Australian waters approximately 10km from the Victorian coastline, running from Lakes Entrance in the east to south of Wilsons Promontory in the west. To see a map of the area and learn more, visit the Australian Government’s website.
While the Australian Government was considering the area west of Wilsons Promontory as a potential zone, it has now been confirmed that there are unacceptable environmental risks to progressing with offshore wind in this region.
Potential offshore wind zones off the coast of Victoria
The Australian Government has also proposed declaring an offshore wind zone in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Portland. A 60-day public consultation closed on 31 August 2023. To see a map of the area and learn more about the next steps in the process, visit the Australian Government’s website.
Living near an offshore wind declared area – what to expect
Before a wind farm can be built, there is a lot of work and planning that must happen.
- First, an offshore wind farm can only be built in areas approved by the Australian Government. These areas are called declared areas.
- After an area is declared suitable for offshore wind, developers can apply for a feasibility licence. This licence gives them permission to investigate their proposed project in more detail.
- A commercial licence is the next licence a developer will need. This gives them permission to build the farm – it is only given to developers who have completed all the steps and approvals needed for their feasibility licence.
- Even before an area is officially declared suitable for offshore wind, a developer might start earlier investigations around or near possible offshore wind areas. This is called pre-feasibility activity.
Learn more about each stage below or visit Establishing offshore renewable energy infrastructure - DCCEEW.