Save WP’s Submission on the Draft Scoping Requirements for the Windfarm EES
The Victorian government is committed to locating several Offshore Windfarms in Bass Strait, to supply renewable energy to meet the State’s energy needs and legislated emissions reduction targets.
In 2022 the government named the Port of Hastings and Westernport Bay as the “preferred location” for the terminal to roll out the State’s Offshore Windfarms.
An Environmental Effects Statement, or EES to assess the impacts of locating Victoria’s Renewable Energy Terminal in Westernport Bay began last month with the release of the Draft Scoping Requirements.
Their release in November was followed by a 20 day period for public comments. Save Westernport prepared a submission of comments and recommendations on the Draft Scoping Requirements (or Terms of Reference) for the EES.
The EES is expected to begin by mid 2025 and will continue for several months, assessing the potential impacts of constructing the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal (VRET) within Westernport’s Ramsar wetlands. EES referral reports and information about the project is available on the EngageVic website for the VRET EES.
The Port of Hastings is finalising their EES project reports, including bird and marine surveys, impacts on local amenity, safety, and traffic etc. Once the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) has accepted the Port’s Environment Effects Statement for the VRET, they’ll release it for public comments for a period of 40 days.
This will be the public’s main opportunity to present their views on the project, by making submissions to the Minister’s Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) that oversees the EES.
We can also choose to present our submissions to the Independent Advisory Committee during the public EES Hearing. The IAC will consider public submissions and expert witness advice on the Port of Hastings’ proposal in their assessment of the project’s impacts.
The location of the VRET within Westernport’s Ramsar wetlands means that before it can be approved, the Port of Hastings as the project’s proponents, must demonstrate that all environmental impacts can be effectively managed and minimised, particularly from the extensive dredging and land reclamation to construct the terminal at its location in one of the shallowest areas in the Bay.
In their determination for the project to proceed, the Victorian government has pushed back against Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s December 2023 decision to reject the original referral for the project’s initial design, under Commonwealth Environmental Protection & Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) laws.
Following the Minister’s decision, the Victorian government instructed the Port of Hastings to redesign the VRET within a smaller project footprint. Its approval will depend on a significant decrease in the area needed for dredging and land reclamation. As the major cause of turbidity, these impacts represent the greatest threat to the wetlands from the loss of seagrass coverage. The full extent of these impacts were described in detail in Minister Plibersek’s Statement of Reasons for rejecting the Port of Hastings’ initial EPBC referral.
Save Westernport will continue to keep you updated as the EES proceeds, and we’ll let you know when it’s time to make your submission. Sign up here to receive our Newsletter updates.
Save Westernport and our allies know the important role that the record number of public submissions on the AGL proposal played in that project’s EES assessment in 2021.
We’ll be encouraging as many of you as possible to make submissions on this plan to locate the VRET for the State’s Offshore Windfarms within Westernport Bay.
Save Westernport supports the Victorian government’s commitment to transitioning to renewable energy, but we will only support this Windfarm terminal if it follows World’s Best Practice at every stage during construction and operation, and its location does not negatively impact the conservation values of Westernport’s Ramsar wetlands and protected species.
Please support our voluntary work by becoming a Member of Save Westernport, or donate to Save Westernport here.
Thank you.
Kawasaki News
Earlier this year Save Westernport produced a detailed Briefing doc on the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC), to advise MPs, local Councillors and media about the full extent, and risks associated with producing hydrogen from brown coal, and shipping it to Japan out of Westernport Bay.
In Dec 2024 our allies at Environment Victoria shared a Japanese media report that claimed the HESC project had hit a major setback. The report said “cost and timeline pressures” had forced Kawasaki Heavy Industries—the main player in Japan’s HESC consortium— to cancel plans to make hydrogen from coal in the La Trobe Valley, and ship it from the Port of Hastings to Japan.
The surprise announcement that “major revisions to the project’s demonstration stage now meant the project’s hydrogen will be procured in Japan” was reported in The AGE.
The ABC reported that “a multibillion-dollar plan to create “clean” hydrogen from Australian brown coal and ship it to Japan is on the brink of collapse, following a Japanese media report that Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has withdrawn from the trial, blaming procurement delays.”
The project “hit a major roadblock after the international partner walked away from a trial to develop a hydrogen network in our region.”
A Kawasaki Heavy Industries media release on Dec 7 confirmed the decision, but claimed they “remain committed…to a commercial scale project in the Latrobe Valley”.
Despite KHI’s claim that “representatives of Kawasaki [had] recently met with both state and federal government stakeholders in relation to the project”, neither government has commented, remaining silent on the reports.
In 2019 state and federal governments backed the pilot project, with a combined $100 million investment of Australian taxpayer funds for HESC’s controversial new fossil fuels plan.
Information about the commercial demonstration phase on the HESC website, (not updated in over a year) still has it located here in Victoria. Opponents of HESC say it is incumbent on the Japanese proponents to explain what this recent announcement will mean for Victoria— and why their decision to relocate the commercial demonstration phase won’t also apply to the remainder of the project. With reported cost and timeline blow-outs affecting the location of HESC’s demonstration phase, it’s likely they’ll also jeopardise the full commercial stage as well.
If Japan’s commercial demonstration phase is not expected to produce hydrogen until 2030 (as stated on the HESC website), and HESC in Australia is also now on hold at least until this date, the production of dirty brown hydrogen from coal is unlikely to be competitive against sustainably produced green hydrogen projects that become more viable each year.
Two Australian producers of Green hydrogen, Coregas and Energys recently applied for a Planning Scheme Amendment to expand HESC’s hydrogen liquification and storage depot, to produce hydrogen fuel cells at the Bluescope Hastings facility that’s been out of use since the pilot project concluded in 2022.
This renewable hydrogen project aims to replace CO2-emitting diesel-powered buses, trains and trucks with no-emissions vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
For more information go to the supporting docs list in the Draft Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme Amendment C304morn, that is open for public comment until Dec 20, 2024.
In 2018 hundreds of people joined a rally in Hastings against HESC’s new fossil fuels project, organised by Save Westernport and WPPC. Both environmental groups have fought the project at every stage since HESC was first announced in 2018.
Our call for an EES to assess the project’s impacts was overturned in 2019, when the project was fast-tracked for approval, and the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain to Japan was called an “essential project in Victoria”.
Save Westernport’s members and supporters couldn’t be more thrilled by the recent news that HESC’s out-dated fossil fuel project may no longer involve burning Victoria’s brown coal, or using Westernport Bay to ship it to Japan.
We’ll continue to make sure decision makers in state and federal parliament know that HESC has No Social License to operate in Victoria. Japan’s Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (Brown Coal to Hydrogen) project looks set to meet its end. Join us in seeking confirmation from your local representatives of these recent reports about HESC.
The Port of Hastings’ Windfarm Assembly Terminal in Westernport Bay
You may recall in January 2024, federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek rejected an application by the Port of Hastings for the Victorian Government’s Renewable Energy Terminal (V-RET) in Westernport Bay. The Minister’s decision was based on the project’s unacceptable impacts on the marine environment, outlined in her Statement of Reasons.
But the Victorian Government’s commitment to supplying the state with 2 Gigawatts of wind-powered energy by 2032, and 9GW by 2040 is contingent on the V-RET to construct Victoria’s offshore windfarms in Bass Strait.
The Port of Hastings Corporation, as the proponent for the Victorian govt’s Renewable Energy Terminal, has reviewed their plans, and the revised project will be assessed by an Environment Effects Statement, or EES in 2025.
Save Westernport has agreed to support the state government’s commitment to Offshore Windfarms, but not at the expense of Westernport’s internationally recognised marine ecosystems.
We will participate in the Port of Hastings’ Community Advisory Group throughout the EES that will assess the V-RET in Westernport in 2025.
The Port of Hastings recently announced the release of the Draft Scoping Requirements (Terms of Reference) for the EES.
This will be the public’s first opportunity to comment on the EES for the V-RET.
Read the Draft Scoping Requirements here https://engage.vic.gov.au/download/document/37543
If you notice something missing from the Draft Scoping Requirements that you believe should be included in the final version for the EES, please use the Engage Victoria webpage to make a submission BEFORE DEC 11th 2024: https://engage.vic.gov.au/victorian-renewable-energy-terminal-ees-scoping-requirements
The Port of Hastings has released the following information about the Draft Scoping Requirements https://portofhastings.cmail19.com/t/y-e-cliajt-dulkjjnn-f/
Watch this short YouTube video detailing the Port of Hastings’ proposal in Westernport Bay :
https://youtu.be/uYUxSFm_oE0?feature=shared
In October the Port of Hastings held two public information sessions to let people know about new details of the project and the EES assessment. Their virtual information session can now be viewed on YouTube
https://youtu.be/xTyJoHUV4-E?feature=shared
Sign up here on our website to receive Save Westernport’s newsletter updates about the Windfarm terminal and other events and projects in and around the Bay.
https://savewesternport.org/get-our-newsletter/
Remember you can support Save Westernport by hitting that ‘Become a Member’ button on the page above to join or renew your annual membership subscription at the value price of just $20 per year.
Western Port Biosphere and VNPA are hosting some wonderful speakers for our first Western Port community series
We’re hosting a webinar at 7pm on Wednesday 16 October to explore the marine life of Western Port Bay — above and below the surface. You’ll learn about seagrass, dolphins and whales, about citizen science and marine life that generally make Western Port their home. If you’d like to learn more, we’d love to see you. Feel free to share these details around.
Please Register here.
See you Wednesday!
Wind Farm Staging area at Port of Hastings Back on the Cards
The Victorian government, through the Port of Hastings Corporation, is seeking to breathe new life into the wind farm proposal following the rejection of the plan in January by the federal Environment Minister. Read the MP News story here…
And there’s more more wind farm details and other info in our June newsletter here…
Our FY 2022-23 AGM
Save Westernport held its Annual General Meeting for the 2022/23 financial year on Saturday 20th of April at the beautiful Coolart Homestead, Somers. Read more… Photo – Outgoing Save Westernport president Candy Van Rood, incoming president Jane Carnegie, and featured speakers Laura Brearley and Jo Lane.
Westernport
Westernport’s internationally recognised ecosystems are home to amazing wildlife, incredibly diverse wetlands and idyllic beaches. But, if you’re reading this you probably know just how special Westernport Bay is. This is why generations have fought to protect it – and now it’s our turn.
Endangered Species
The critically endangered Eastern Curlew uses Westernport’s wetlands to feed and recover before returning on the long journey back to its breeding grounds in Siberia. With fewer than 70 in the wild, the equally endangered Orange-bellied Parrot also uses Westernport’s resources over winter before returning to summer in Tasmania. They are the world’s only migratory parrot, and this year Westernport was chosen as the perfect site to release hand-raised chicks that will increase wild populations. These are just two of many endangered species that rely on the ecology of the Bay for survival.
Recovering Wetland
Westernport’s wetlands are undergoing a long recovery from damage caused by agricultural run-off and industrial pollution in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Countless plants and animals have re-established themselves and their future looks good, as long as we can stop any further industrialization of Westernport.
Stop the destruction
The inappropriate demands of heavy industry that defined the Port of Hastings in the 1960s must now be weighed against the urgent need to protect biodiversity and prevent ecosystem collapse. Nothing short of world’s best practice can reverse the damage. You can help by becoming a member of Save Westernport, and by signing up for our newsletter updates here.
Stop The Threat!
Many large corporations and even our own Victorian Government still regard Westernport as a potential heavy industry zone or port. Our work is ‘cut out for us’ in our passion to protect this unique biosphere, & Ramsar designated wetlands.
Scroll down to find out more.
Upcoming Events
Looking to see what we’re all about here at Save Westernport? Come along to one of our upcoming events to get a better idea of what we’re all about and what you can do to help!
