Fishing and offshore wind

As we plan for the project, we’re looking at how fishing, boating and offshore wind can share the waters off the south coast of Gippsland, and how offshore wind might make fishing in the area even better.

Marine investigations and planning for an offshore wind farm

We’re doing site investigations and seeking input from local fishers and boaters to build an understanding of the local area. Investigations will help inform our environmental assessments and the design of the offshore wind farm.

Sharing the waters

We believe that many types of fishing, including recreational fishing and boating, can continue alongside an operational wind farm. We know from looking at other offshore wind projects around the world that it is possible, but every country has its own regulations.

Because this is Australia’s first offshore wind farm, there are no existing regulations and they will have to be developed. The Australian Government is developing a regulatory framework for offshore clean energy projects like the Star of the South.

We’re working to develop our own position and recommendations for what sharing the waters could look like off the Gippsland coast. To do this we are:

• Researching what has and hasn’t worked on other offshore wind projects
• Looking at local examples of sharing the waters
• Conducting local fishing studies
• Seeking input from fishing industry groups, local fishers and boaters.

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