An offshore wind farm off the coast of Kiama could be back on the table after the Federal Government announced today that consultation has opened for a new offshore wind zone in the Illawarra.

The proposed offshore wind zone extends more than 1400 square kilometres from Wombarra, north of Wollongong, down as far south as Gerringong. The site has the potential to generate up to 4.2GW of renewable energy, enough to power 3.4 million homes. It would also provide 2500 construction jobs and another 1250 ongoing jobs.

 If approved, wind turbines would be constructed at least 10 km from the Illawarra shoreline but extend out further to 30 km from Kiama’s coast.

The announcement was made by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen at the Illawarra Clean Energy Summit & Expo, who said that Illawarra had been selected for its strong offshore winds, major port infrastructure and diverse workforce.

(Supplied) Proposed offshore wind zone.

“Offshore wind is energy rich and jobs rich but despite having some of the best wind resources in the world, Australia doesn’t currently have any offshore wind,” Minister Bowen said.

“This presents a huge economic opportunity for the regions that help power Australia – like the Illawarra, to continue to power our nation for generations to come. This is a genuine consultation and I encourage all community members to get involved and have their say on the proposed zone.”

The Federal Government will keep the consultation period open until 16 October, during which time it will host community information sessions across the region. The Kiama session will take place on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at Kiama Leagues Club from 4pm to 7pm.

 When BlueFloat Energy - the company behind the South Pacific Offshore Wind Project - announced in June 2023 that it had selected an alternative site to Kiama for its wind farm, The Bugle heard from many unhappy locals who did not want wind turbines in their town.

Concerns from locals include a loss of tourism from the disturbed coastal scenery, potentially disturbed whale migration patterns, and the lack of appropriate infrastructure. We’re sure that the community will have a lot to say during the consultation period!