Offshore wind farm zone proposed for Bass Strait off the coast of major Tasmanian towns
The federal government is yet to decide whether or not to go ahead with a proposed wind farm zone off Tasmania’s north-coast. If it is declared a feasible area, it’ll open the door for thousands of wind turbines to be built, but not everyone is convinced it is the best pick.
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00:00For decades, wind farms have been built off the coast of Europe and Asia, harnessing winds
00:07that blow stronger and faster over the open ocean than over land.
00:12Offshore wind is a much greater producer of energy because the turbines are larger and
00:20the wind resource is a lot purer.
00:23Bass Strait is notoriously windy and seems a perfect place to generate wind power.
00:28It really is a world class area for wind turbines.
00:34The federal government has designated an offshore wind farm zone off Tasmania's north coast,
00:39covering 10,000 square kilometres of ocean and stretching from Burnie to Bridport.
00:46The government predicts turbines in the zone could generate enough electricity to power
00:51every home in Australia.
00:53The export dollars we can earn from that back into hydro can come into the state coffers
01:00and be used for everything that we need.
01:03The distance from Tasmania's coast to turbines in the zone would range from 70km from Stanley
01:10to 20km from Georgetown.
01:13From Devonport's foreshore, the closest turbine would be 24km away, prompting mixed reactions
01:19from locals.
01:21Well I'm hopeful that we will be getting the energy that's most efficient and most beneficial
01:28for everyone.
01:29I think it's definitely renewables as a way to go, but from what I see from here, if it's
01:35going to be 24km from the shore, you hardly see it anyway.
01:39I've seen pictures from overseas and they can be very intrusive really.
01:45Some renewable energy companies argue the ocean in the zone is too deep for turbines.
01:50Some of the best offshore wind areas are not in the zone and so we would like a consultation
01:56on expanding those shallower areas, which are still 20km offshore.
02:02What happens next is now in the hands of the Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy,
02:07Chris Bowen.
02:08He said he received numerous submissions and once he's made a decision, the area will either
02:13be deemed as a feasible area or it'll be back to the drawing board.