INTERESTED attendees at Toora Hall chatted about renewable energy on Wednesday, particularly offshore wind energy generation, with representatives of VicGrid and a dozen energy project proponents there, future job opportunities and other benefits for locals being key areas of interest.
As a learning support adviser assisting trainees and apprentices at TAFE Gippsland, Louisa Vale said she is excited about the “genuine job opportunities” that will arise in areas such as construction and maintenance.
She said that given the different skillset that will be required, TAFE Gippsland is busy determining what traineeships and courses to offer to prepare people to seize future opportunities.
South Gippsland Shire Council was strongly represented at the Toora session, with Mayor John Schelling, CEO Allison Jones and senior staff present.
Ms Jones said the focus is on maximising benefits of the offshore wind energy generation industry for the community, environment and the economy.
Cr Schelling elaborated on what council is striving to achieve.
“What we’re trying to do here is line up the Federal, State and Local Governments, so we’re all talking from the same position; currently, you’ve got the Federal Government doing one thing, the State Government doing another thing, and then we’re picking up the pieces at the bottom,” he said.
“We’re trying to all be on the same page so that we can work for the community benefit that’s going to come out of offshore wind (energy generation)
for South Gippsland.”
Cr Schelling recalled the benefits that flowed into the local area through Barry Beach with the thriving oil and gas industry of the 1960s and 1970s, saying the aim is to ensure comparable community benefits flow from the offshore wind energy sector.
He stressed the importance of the Federal and State Governments letting people know what they are doing to meet future energy requirements, highlighting the fact people are concerned about running out of electricity when the region’s current power stations close.
One of the proponents at Wednesday’s session, Blue Mackerel, has started its environmental surveys, which feed into the required environmental impact assessments, a range of complex surveys being conducted on and offshore.
All up, that is expected to take place over about the next three and a half years, with a timeframe of two years for the required surveys and expectations that the environmental impact assessments will take a further six months, followed by an extensive government assessment likely to take another year.
Should projects be deemed viable, a competitive process will take place and sufficient finance will need to be secured by successful proponents.
Southerly 10, which is responsible for the Star of the South project, is the furthest along the lengthy path of requirements, having received an exploration licence back in 2019 to determine industry feasibility, enabling it to have completed a lot of the studies other proponents are undertaking now.
The next aim for Southerly 10 is to progress to public exhibition in relation to environmental approvals, later this year or early next year,
enabling members of the public to comment, with the option to view summaries or detailed reports.
Werner Theinert of Harmers Haven was an interested visitor at the Toora renewable energy session given he teaches a course about renewables, sustainability and resilience at Wonthaggi U3A.
He is keen to learn more about the bidding process that will take place between offshore wind energy project proponents.
“There’s a race on; the power stations are getting older by the day and it’s time to get something done to get this thing on the road,” Werner said of the need for action.
In the meantime, he continues to inform his U3A class about subjects including solar panels and household batteries, ways in which some of those who are in a position to are taking charge of their own energy needs.
