Aidan Curtis
THE South East will be sending a delegation to Canberra in August to directly air concerns around potential offshore wind farm projects.
Organised by Barker MP Tony Pasin, the delegation will include members of South Coast Ocean Care, professional and recreational fishers, and District Council of Grant (DCG) mayor Kylie Boston, among others.
The delegation is set to meet with Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen to discuss community concerns around potentially declaring the ocean off the coast of Port MacDonnell as a zone suitable for offshore wind farms.
Ms Boston told The Border Watch she is looking forward to meeting with Mr Bowen and she hopes speaking with the Port MacDonnell community sways the decision on whether the zone gets declared or not.
“With all of us going as that joint voice, you hope that has some weight as he makes his decision on where that zone goes,” she said.
“By having us all there, and us making the effort to go because it is a long way away, the expense of going, you hope they take that all into consideration.”
She said DCG has concerns around the potential environmental impacts of building a windfarm in the region.
“We’re supporting the view from the Rock Lobster Association that the zone should finish at the Victorian border,” she said.
“Our concern is around the rock lobster industry and the effect to the environment with the Bonney Upwelling on all of the species that are out there, from our shorebirds to the whale and shark species.”
The delegation is set to meet with Mr Bowen in Canberra on Wednesday, August 9.
