According to the government, the area will create 1,740 jobs during construction and open 870 ongoing operation positions such as engineers, labourers, technicians, operators, riggers, divers, and administrators.
“The Southern Ocean offshore wind zone has the potential to create thousands of new, high-value jobs and help secure cleaner, cheaper more reliable energy for regional Victoria,” said Chris Bowen , Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
Feasibility licence applications for offshore wind projects in the Southern Ocean zone will open from 6 March until 2 July 2024.
During that stage, developers will carry out detailed environmental assessments and engage in further consultation, including how the project will coexist with the shipping, tourism, and fishing industries.
The zone is one of the six the Australian government is considering for offshore wind development, two of which have already been designated as offshore wind zones: one off the Hunter Valley and one in the Bass Strait off Gippsland .
The remaining three zones include the Pacific Ocean region off the Illawarra in NSW, the Bass Strait region off Northern Tasmania , and the Indian Ocean region off Perth/Bunbury.
Recently, the government launched a consultation on the final zone off the Bunbury region in Western Australia which has a potential for 20 GW of offshore wind capacity.
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