Blow me down: Bowen names six sites for offshore wind, and Qld not one of them
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has flagged six possible locations for offshore wind energy as the government looks to increase the amount of renewables in the grid.
The government has proposed an area in the Bass Strait off Gippsland for a site for the offshore wind facility, along with parts of the Pacific near the Hunter and the Illawarra.
Further locations in the Southern Ocean near Portland, parts of the Bass Strait and the Indian Ocean near Perth and Bunbury have also been flagged.
Bowen said the new facilities would help the country to reach 82 per cent renewable energy by the end of the decade.
āThis is good news for these communities. A lot of jobs will also be created. These are areas undergoing economic change as our energy system transforms,ā he told reporters in Sydney
āWe are way behind the game, way behind the rest of the would in producing wind off our coastline.ā
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Bowen said consultation for the offshore wind projects near Gippsland would begin straight away, while details for consultation for the other five sites would be announced in due course.
Itās estimated the Gippsland proposal would be enough to power 1.2 million homes in Victoria, with the industry set to create up to 8000 jobs a year once fully operational.
The announcement comes a day after the governmentās climate bill passed the House of Representatives.
The bill enshrined a 43 per cent reduction in emissions based on 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
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It will now be sent to a Senate committee, due to report back by the end of the month, before being debated in the upper house.
The minister said the billās passage was a step forward and he looked forward to it passing the Senate.
āIt is not symbolic, it is practice. There are 10 years of delay and dysfunction, this parliament is taking big steps for it to end,ā Bowen said .
āThe passage of this bill sends a message to investors in renewable energy, transmission and storage around the world that Australia is open for business to become a renewable energy powerhouse.ā
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said an āeconomy-wide transitionā would be needed in order to cut down on Australiaās emissions.
He said more work was needed to be done to reduce emissions, particularly among the countryās biggest polluters.
āYou have to have an economy-wide transition here. It will take effort. Itās not easy, but we can do it,ā he told ABC Radio on Friday.
āAnd while doing it, we can create economic activity, create jobs, particularly in our regions.ā
While the opposition has warned the governmentās emissions reduction target would lead to higher power bills for families, the prime minister said the changes would help to grow the economy.
He warned a lack of action in reducing emissions would have a negative impact on the countryās finances.
āUnless we do this transition, then Australia will actually suffer and shrink, so we also have the possibility of cleaner, cheaper energy, creating new industries,ā he said.
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