Nationals Member for Lyne, Alison Penfold, says the Albanese Government has shown its contempt for Myall Coast and Port Stephens residents by announcing a process to trial wind farms and other industrial renewables off Port Stephens.
Ms Penfold said that buried in a media release late on Friday, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, announced the Government had "opened applications for research and development (R&D) licences that allow trials and testing of offshore renewable technology in Australian waters"… in all of Australia's six declared wind zones.
"After local people power helped put an end to Equinox and Oceanex's feasibility licence venture in the Hunter Offshore Wind Zone last year, the Minister is back at it again trying to force a wind farm against the community's wishes," Ms Penfold said.
"Offshore wind is simply not feasible or wanted off the Myall Coast. Our community has made this blatantly clear.
"I should remind the Minister that the waters off the Myall Coast are the most environmentally protected waters in NSW.
"Yet here the Minister is trying to again to force wind turbines and other industrial renewable projects into these pristine waters just for his ideological pursuit of offshore wind and renewables.
"The fact that the Minister is doing this without any consultation with affected communities smacks of the Albanese Government's arrogance and disregard.
"You just can't railroad communities, whatever the size with which you govern.
"And contrary to his statement today, there is no global race for offshore wind. It's been dumped overseas with over 300 GW of projects cancelled, delayed, or suspended since 2019."
