Have your say
Feedback will help inform the Minister’s decision on whether the proposed area is suitable for offshore wind development. Your feedback must be provided by 11:59pm (AEDT) Wednesday 31 January 2024.
Make a submission for Offshore renewable energy infrastructure area proposal: Northern Tasmania, Bass Strait, TAS.
Quick facts
Public consultation: 24 October 2023 to 31 January 2024
Proposed area maximum size: 10,136km2
Potential power generation: 28GW
Potential Jobs: 16,000 jobs during construction and 8000 ongoing jobs
Current status: Open for public consultation
The proposed area
The Minister for Climate Change and Energy proposed an area in the Bass Strait Region off the coast of Northern Tasmania for offshore renewable energy, including offshore wind, on the 24 October 2023.
The proposed area covers 10,136km2 and extends offshore of Bridport in the east to Burnie in the west. The proposed area is the area specified in the Notice of Proposal.
Download
Notice of proposal to declare an area - Bass Strait, TAS (PDF 810 KB)
Notice of proposal to declare an area - Bass Strait, TAS (DOCX 391 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
Map of proposed area
Choosing the area
The offshore wind industry is well established internationally and is now an emerging industry in Australia. See building an offshore wind industry.
The Bass Strait region is one of 6 priority areas identified for offshore wind development in Australian Commonwealth waters. We consider several factors to identify regions that have potential to support an offshore wind industry.
The Bass Strait region is well suited for offshore wind due to a range of factors including:
- strong, consistent winds ranked amongst the best in the world for wind energy production
- proximity to areas of high electricity demand
- potential to support infrastructure via the port of Bell Bay.
There is industry interest in developing projects in the area offshore northern Tasmania, including 2 projects that have signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Tasmanian Government.
The proposed area was determined following consultation with Australian and Tasmanian government agencies.
Public consultation
Consultation on potential offshore wind developments will occur at multiple stages of the regulatory process and continue throughout the life of any project that may ultimately be approved for construction. The community’s first opportunity to share their views is when an area is proposed for declaration.
The proposed Bass Strait region opened for public consultation on 24 October 2023 and is due to close on 31 January 2024.
This is the first opportunity to provide feedback. We want your feedback on:
- whether the area is suitable for offshore renewable energy, particularly offshore wind
- what you think this industry may mean for the region, including potential interactions with other marine users and interests.
Information about the consultation is being shared across several platforms, including on our website and social media channels.
Paid promotion was undertaken in local newspapers, radio and social media. A letterbox drop of 33,153 flyers to households in suburbs and towns adjacent to the proposed area has also been conducted.
Make a submission for Offshore renewable energy infrastructure area proposal: Northern Tasmania, Bass Strait, TAS.
Information sessions
Community sessions will be held from 4 December to 7 December 2023.
Community drop-in sessions provide an opportunity for you to speak with staff from the department about the government process and ask questions about the proposal. Departmental staff will be onsite throughout the session times and people are welcome to drop in at any time during the opening times. This is to make the sessions accessible to a wide range of people.
There is no planned presentation at the start of these sessions. You will not miss out on any information if you come part-way through a session and you will still have your chance to have your questions answered.
| Town | Date and time | Location |
|---|---|---|
|
Bridport |
Monday 4 December 2023 |
Bridport Hotel |
|
George Town |
Monday 4 December 2023 |
George Town Memorial Hall - Graham Fairless Centre |
|
Burnie |
Tuesday 5 December 2023 |
Upper Burnie Memorial Hall |
|
Devonport |
Tuesday 5 December 2023 |
East Devonport Recreation & Function Centre - Community Room |
|
Flinders Island |
Wednesday 6 December 2023 |
Flinders Arts & Entertainment Centre (FAEC) |
In person meetings with stakeholders including local government representatives and First Nation groups will also be conducted.
Online information sessions
Stakeholders are invited to participate in online industry and community specific sessions that will be held during the consultation period.
There will be 4 sessions held between 11 December and 15 December 2023. These sessions are targeted to the following industry groups.
| Group | Date and time | Booking link |
|---|---|---|
|
Fishing groups |
Tuesday 12 December 2023 |
|
|
Tourism and local business groups |
Monday 11 December 2023 |
|
|
Environment groups |
Wednesday 13 December 2023 |
|
|
Community groups |
Thursday 14 December 2023 |
Ongoing consultation is also being undertaken with relevant Australian and Tasmanian Government agencies that have policy and regulatory oversight over marine users and interests.
Distances
Distance to proposed area
| Location | Distance to proposed area |
|---|---|
|
Stanley |
70km |
|
Burnie |
40 km |
|
Devonport |
20 km |
|
George Town |
20 km |
|
Bridport |
32 km |
|
Cape Portland |
30 km |
|
Tareerpattel-tarerenner / Ninth Island |
20 km |
|
Truwana / Cape Barren Island |
30 km |
|
Flinders Island (Nearest point) |
48 km |
|
Flinders Island (Whitemark) |
55 km |
|
Wilson’s Promontory (Victoria) |
100km |
|
King Island |
140km |
Wind turbine visualisations
The following images show what offshore wind turbines in the proposed Bass Strait offshore wind area may look like. These images are based on offshore experiences and includes:
- Images depict a grid of turbines with 2km by 2km spacing
- The modelled turbines are based on the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s 15MW offshore wind turbine reference model as well as the largest wind turbine on the market today.
- The reference turbines in the imagery have the following characteristics:
- Total height (tip height): 268m
- Hub height (height to turbine nacelle): 150m
- Blade length (radius of turbine): 118
- Minimum blade height above sea level: 30m
If an area is declared, any prospective developer that receives a feasibility licence will undertake a range of scientific studies to determine the optimal location, size and arrangement of turbines.
Prospective developers will also need to consult on the location and placement of any future turbines as part of their licence requirements. It is likely individual projects will differ from the visualisations shown.
Real-world visibility will be dependent on factors such as time of day, cloud cover, atmospheric conditions such as mist or haze, as well as the exact location, size, orientation and layout of turbines.
Source: Definition of the IEA Wind 15-Megawatt Offshore Reference Wind Turbine.
Image source: DCCEEW. Visualisation: DCCEEW.
Bridport
Digital rendering of offshore wind turbines to illustrate how wind turbines in the proposed area may look from Bridport. This is a digital rendering for illustrative purposes only. Actual wind turbine numbers and look may differ.
Focal Length: 52mm
Camera Model: Sony A7IV
Sensor Size: Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm), Type: BSI-CMOS
Camera Height: 150cm
Time: 2023-11-06 12:06
GPS: 41.0013° S 147.3967° E
Devonport
Digital rendering of offshore wind turbines to illustrate how wind turbines in the proposed area may look from Devonport. This is a digital rendering for illustrative purposes only. Actual wind turbine numbers and look may differ.
Focal Length: 49mm
Camera Model: Sony A7IV
Sensor Size: Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm), Type: BSI-CMOS
Camera Height: 150cm
Time: 2023-11-07 09:09
GPS: 41.17774° S 146.3624° E
Low Head, George Town
Digital rendering of offshore wind turbines to illustrate how wind turbines in the proposed area may look from Low Head. This is a digital rendering for illustrative purposes only. Actual wind turbine numbers and look may differ.
Focal Length: 48mm
Camera Model: Sony A7IV
Sensor Size: Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm), Type: BSI-CMOS
Camera Height: 150cm
Time: 2023-11-06 15:12
GPS: 41.05541° S 146.7892° E
Three Sisters, Ulverstone and Penguin
Digital rendering of offshore wind turbines to illustrate how wind turbines in the proposed area may look from the Three Sisters. This is a digital rendering for illustrative purposes only. Actual wind turbine numbers and look may differ.
Focal Length: 49mm
Camera Model: Sony A7IV
Sensor Size: Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm), Type: BSI-CMOS
Camera Height: 150cm
Time: 2023-11-07 11:11
GPS: 41.12427° S 146.1229° E
Next steps
Public consultation closes on 31 January 2024.
The Minister will consider public submissions to help inform his decision as to whether the proposed area is suitable for offshore wind development.
A summary of submissions and the consultation will be posted on the Bass Strait Have your say consultation platform once the public consultation period has finished.
The declaration of an offshore area is the first stage of the regulatory process. If an area is declared by the Minster for Climate Change and Energy, developers will be invited to apply for feasibility licences. Read more about applying for feasibility licences.
Contact
Email: offshorerenewables@dcceew.gov.au