The head of Australia's most experienced offshore wind company says he understands why some communities feel anxious about the prospect of giant wind farms sitting off their coastline, but he believes much of the opposition is driven by misinformation.
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It comes as the third community protest against the government's plans for offshore wind off the Hunter coast is due to take place in Hawks Nest this weekend.
The declared 1800 square kilometre Hunter Offshore Wind Zone extends from Port Stephens to Catherine Hill Bay.
Unlike Gippsland, where a future offshore wind industry has enjoyed overwhelming community support, the proposition has divided Hunter communities.
While it is widely supported in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, there has been significant community opposition in Port Stephens.
Specific concerns have been raised about the potential impacts on marine life and the area's tourism-based economy.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who visited the area twice within a month, has been among those seeking to gain political traction from the community concern.
He described the government's consultation process as a "national scandal" and voiced concern about the proposal's potential environmental and economic impacts.
Oceanex chief executive Andy Evans said while he expected a degree of opposition, he had been taken aback by the level of misinformation circulating about offshore wind in the Hunter.
"We were a bit surprised about how much misinformation is out there and the fact that people haven't gone and done more work to actually understand what the issues are," he said.
"You just have to look at how people jumped onto Trump talking about wind farms killing whales a couple of weeks ago. Even Greenpeace had to come out and say there was no evidence that wind farms were impacting on whales."
Oceanex, in partnership with international energy company Equinor, has submitted a 500-page document to the federal government as part of its application for a feasibility licence in the Hunter Offshore Wind Zone.
The federal government is expected to announce the successful applicants in about six months time.
The licences give project proponents exclusive rights over a part of the zone for seven years, which is critical for attracting investment.
"A lot of people are overlooking the fact that there won't be new coal. No one is going to rebuild coal-fired power generation because it's too expensive," he said.
"In NSW 70 per cent of electricity comes from black coal. That's all going to be out of the system by 2035. A lot of people don't want to admit that but it's the reality.
"You've also got electric vehicles coming online as well. That is going to need an extra 18 to 20 per cent electricity beyond what the supply is at the moment.
"In NSW there's a need for new large scale, electricity generation and offshore wind is the key to it."
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
