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.
