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At GWEC’s APAC Summit earlier this year, Chris Bowen MP, the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy, revealed the upcoming consultations for offshore wind zones in the nation. These consultations will focus on the Bass Strait region and the Perth/Bunbury zone, with the former starting in October and the latter in November.
Minister Bowen told the conference that this announcement, “puts us firmly on track to have all six areas declared by the first half of next year.”
The first-ever APAC Summit is dedicated to promoting collaboration within the industry, a goal emphasized by Chris Bowen’s recognition. He acknowledged it and added, “providing this roadmap today because I know it will give industry certainty about the immediate path ahead.”
During a Q&A with GWEC CEO Ben Backwell, Minister Bowen also highlighted the importance of these consultations and added that “conversation openly and respectfully and say ‘yes, these are issues that need to be worked through. But here’s all the massive opportunities for our country.’”
The announcement made at the APAC Summit signifies that Australia has successfully conducted all six of its consultations within a twelve-month period.
Ben Backwell, GWEC, CEO, at the APAC Summit, noted, “The pace of Australia’s development in the last year has been fantastic. Minister Bowen described Australia as being like ‘the kid studying all night to catch up,’ when it came to renewable energy, but I think we can safely say the government’s work over the last twelve months now makes it a model for other countries looking to build their offshore wind sector. Australia has embraced international cooperation, joining the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) to help foster collaboration across the world. The Australian government has also become a model for local engagement, with the federal government’s support for the State of Victoria joining GOWA yesterday at the Summit, the first sub-national government to do so, showing it understands that engagement at all levels is crucial to delivering the full benefits of offshore wind’s potential. GWEC looks forward to growing its involvement in the region as Australia builds its offshore wind sector, and helps the APAC Summit deliver on its enormous offshore potential.”
