Hunter Offshore Wind Farms – questions and answers

We urgently need to address the climate crisis before conditions and temperatures rise beyond acceptable living conditions and cause irreversible damage. This requires a rapid transition to renewable energy. EcoNetwork advocates for a precautionary approach to the offshore windfarm development due to insufficient reliable environmental information.

This document is intended to deliver scientifically based information to support informed decision-making. EcoNetwork’s position will be regularly reviewed and updated as new information becomes available.

We will always advocate for the environment and the community based on scientific evidence and argue for transparency and rigour in developing such evidence. For comments, please email info@econetworkps.org. The full document as a PDF with links is available here.

What is the biggest threat to our environment and well-being?

The climate crisis remains the primary threat to our environment, coupled with the loss of biodiversity.
Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed in high quantities into warming seawater, causing the seawater to become acidic (Carbonic acid) with adverse effects on all marine life. Warming seawater expands and changes currents and weather patterns also impacting terrestrial life. This is an emergency.
The implications of reaching the temperature increases predicted (and possibly already exceeded) for 2100 are terrifying. This is only 75 years away, within the lifetime of our children/grandchildren, who have no say in the current short-term attitudes of today, but it will determine their long-term future.

Do we need offshore wind farms?

We may not, but we need to keep all our renewable options open to ensure sufficient energy supply as fossil fuels are phased out, as they must be to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis.
100 offshore wind turbines will produce more energy than Eraring, Australia’s largest coal-fired power station (ANCOR University of Wollongong)
Energy security is needed considering the imminent closure of the ageing coal fired power stations.
Compared to land-based winds, offshore wind is more consistent at night and has minimal disruptions due to sea surface effects, therefore providing more consistent power generation. Offshore windfarms also require shorter transmission lines, reducing energy loss over transmission distance.
Placing wind turbines offshore from the Hunter Coast may yet prove to be impractical, uneconomic or cause unacceptable environmental impacts.

Why not put all the wind farms onshore?

Onshore wind farms are cheaper and easier to construct than offshore turbines but are less efficient.
Land-based wind is affected by the “land effect”, causing less stable and more intermittent wind
More onshore turbines are needed to meet the same targets as offshore turbines with longer and more complex and intrusive transmission links and the loss of energy through the long transmission process.
Both onshore and offshore wind farms will likely be needed as part of the future renewable energy mix.
Additionally onshore wind turbines may have greater visual impact on nearby rural communities, and possibly greater impacts on terrestrial biodiversity.

Can the proponents of offshore wind industry be trusted?

The offshore wind industry is profit-driven and will be self-interested on behalf of their shareholders, highlighting the need for robust regulatory oversight, transparency and community engagement.

Can we trust the environmental assessment processes?

Environmental assessments must be objective and based on the best science as well as input from stakeholders and the community. They must be truly independent of the proponents.
Assessments should be paid for by the proponents through an independently monitored trust fund, subject to strictly independent transparent oversight by Universities/CSIRO and concerned communities.
Universities should not undertake contracts that will compromise their independence in the process.
The assessment research process will uncover new concerns and address existing ones. We should be willing to accept the science as it unfolds, demand transparency and check the facts.

Will the wind farms impact marine life?

Despite 30 years of experience with wind farms from around the world, there is insufficient local evidence of how wind farms will impact local marine life, whales, seabirds, or the benthos. While international studies can provide guidance, it will require local in-depth studies by local and international scientists to identify potential risks and any possible mitigation of those risks.
The climate crisis is already posing an ecological threat to marine life, including marine mammals, seabirds, and fish stocks. Species are migrating south, driven by warming oceans, impacting local species and habitats.
No scientific study has linked offshore wind farms to whale deaths – but more studies are required. Other threats, especially the diminishing stocks of Antarctic krill due to warming seas, melting ice sheets and overfishing will impact the whales along Australia’s coasts. No krill, no whales. Loss of the krill will affect species all the way up the food chain, known as a trophic cascade.
Further studies on the impact of shipping and fishing on marine life, including the whale and seabird migration pathways, and population resilience are needed and should be undertaken as part of the assessment process.
WWF consider entanglement in fishing gear, is estimated to kill 300,000 whales and dolphins annually, while ship strikes are estimated to kill 20,00 whales annually. These are considered to be the primary threats to whales and dolphins. The United Nations in part attributes ocean warming to the world’s increased whale strandings, reduced calving and migration shifts.
Turbine structures have been shown to create an “artificial reef effect” where marine life congregates and thrives. However, this can also provide habitat for invasive species and will need careful monitoring.
Because it will be a lengthy process to establish a fully operational windfarm, by the time any wind farms are operational, a wide variety of marine species, including whales, may have already been impacted by climate change. Distinguishing between these impacts will be essential.

Will the wind farms impact sea birds?

Australian Conservation Foundation and Birdlife Australia advocate for well-designed wind farms to mitigate impacts on birds. They recommend a precautionary approach to potential impacts on bird populations and stress the need for continued research, monitoring and evaluation.
Recent research has identified 29 seabird species potentially at risk from wind farms in NSW waters. Locally, Goulds Petrel and the Wedgetail Shearwater are well known, but several other species including species of Albatross and the giant petrel are also of concern and require further research (Reid et al. 2022, 2023).
Published research has identified the top three threats to Gould’s Petrels at sea as climate change followed by fisheries and light pollution, but there are potential threats from windfarms as well (EcoNetwork Forum 2024).
Seabirds incidentally caught and killed by fisheries (bycatch mortality) has the greatest average impact on seabird populations, killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds (of 100 species) annually, despite awareness of the problems and mitigation efforts over 30 years. This is compounded by competition with fisheries for the same food (re)sources, further stressing bird populations.
Seabirds colliding with well-lit vessels and oil rigs are widely recorded. The impacts of lights from wind towers are generally poorly studied but what is known indicates that collision with non-passerine species are likely to be low. However the reviews are mixed and should be studied locally.
Developing a holistic, coordinated regional scale approach to assessing seabird behaviour and how they utilise an area will provide a more structured approach to mitigating impacts of wind farms on bird populations, rather than assessing bird populations at individual project sites. Before locating any windfarms, detailed research assessments of seabird activity will be required.

Will the wind farms affect fishing?

The federal government has stated, “The Australian offshore wind regulatory framework operates under the principle of shared use of the offshore marine environment. This aims to balance competing interests. Australia’s marine waters are used for many activities. These include shipping, fishing, environment, tourism, and oil and gas extraction.”
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has confirmed fishers (recreational and commercial) will be able to fish within 50 metres of the turbines. There may be exceptions, such as bottom trawling that risk snagging on cables and other infrastructure. Game fishing sites such as the ‘Car Park’ in the Hunter area comprise rocky ridges and outcrops, incompatible with anchoring semisubmersible wind turbines or laying cables.

Will increased shipping to service wind farms impact marine life?

While there will be a risk of collision between wind farm support vessels and whales, this can be mitigated by a variety of actions, e.g. onboard observers and only operating during daylight hours.
The busiest shipping lane in Australia lies off Port Stephens. The bulk carriers and container ships are noisy and fast-moving and pose a greater existing direct threat to whales than smaller support vessels.

Are bulk coal carriers a threat to the local marine environment?

Bulk carriers offshore from Newcastle and Port Stephens may look benign but can carry up to 5,000 tonnes of Heavy Fuel Oil, a toxic and persistent oil which, in the event of an accidental spill, would have a catastrophic impact on the shoreline of the local coastline and beyond. We’ve been lucky so far.
Global shipping produces around 3% of annual global CO₂ emissions; for context, Canada, as a whole country produces 1.6%.
If global shipping were a country, it would rank the 6^th largest producer of greenhouse gases. 15 of the largest ships emit more greenhouse gases per year than all the world’s cars together (The Economist).
Up to 30 of these large coal ships can be seen offshore from Port Stephens waiting to enter or leaving Newcastle, the busiest coal port in the world. This presents a potential major threat to local marine life.

Electromagnetic impacts from cables on the marine environment

It is unclear how the electric magnetic fields from subsea cables impact marine life. But research results to date (> 25 years) by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Science has shown minimum effects.

How much noise will be generated by offshore wind power?

Seabed exploration for the proposed semi-submersible systems to be used for windfarms in the Hunter Zone uses sonar mapping, generating very little noise. Seismic testing used by the oil and gas industry to penetrate 1000s of metres below the seabed generates 250 dB, which can cause extreme harm and be lethal to marine fauna. Such testing will not be needed for the windfarms.
Semi-submersible wind turbines produce very low operational underwater noise, especially compared to Bulk Carrier or container ships that can produce a continuous emission of up to 188dB moving through the area. 85 dB is generally considered to be too loud and unsafe in a workplace. (Safe Work Australia)

Will wind farms damage tourism?

Climate change will be the biggest challenge to future tourism – temperatures regularly above 45ºC and declining marine ecosystem health will likely be a greater deterrent to tourists than distant wind farms.
It is difficult to see why a few wind turbines on the horizon would deter tourists from visiting this area. In the UK some sites have become tourist attractions (Gov of Wales 2022).
There is no evidence that an offshore wind industry serviced out of Newcastle would interfere with Port Stephens tourist businesses and in fact, it may offer new opportunities for tourism through increased employment in the OW industry generating more disposable income and local tourism.
There is potential for an increase in recreational fishing tourism and associated support networks in the area as recreational offshore fishing opportunities are developed around the turbines.

How visible will the turbines be from onshore?

The declared zone boundary in the Hunter is 20km offshore. The turbines will be beyond the boundary.
Distance, combined with increased haze from warming sea surfaces will minimise any visual impacts from the turbines. However, navigation lights maybe visible at night.
Some people reject any visible impacts, but the visual impact should be balanced alongside the impacts of the climate crisis.

Will wind farms be subsidised?

The Renewable Energy Target (RET) assistance is designed to encourage investment in renewables of all types.
The renewable energy industry will receive $2.8 billion per year until 2030 to help achieve the renewable energy target (DECCW), and offshore wind will receive some of this.
Meanwhile, fossil fuel subsidies have increased to a record $67 billion in the forward estimates, approximately $14.9 billion of subsidy this financial year (The Australia Institute March 2025), far exceeding renewable energy subsidies, and the nation’s $4.75 billion disaster response fund.

Will wind farms have other economic impacts on the area?

Apart from tourism potential, attempts to integrate aquaculture (kelp, oyster, mussel and fish) with wind turbines are underway in the North Sea and may be economically viable in the Hunter area.

Are small modular nuclear units the answer to clean energy?

No. After 80 years of nuclear power internationally, there is still no solution to nuclear waste. It will leave a massive toxic legacy for future generations.
Detailed modelling by CSIRO and other reputable research organisations consistently shows that nuclear is the most expensive source of energy.
Small Modular Reactors are an expensive, unproven technology and will not be able to replace the current basket of relatively cheap existing renewable technologies over at least the next 2 – 3 decades.
Nuclear power plants require significantly more water than existing power plants of the same power output. The climate crisis will threaten water supplies required for the safe operation of nuclear power plants generating further risk and competing water needs with local communities and farmers.
A new nuclear industry will require rapidly developing and/or importing a highly skilled work force to enable the development of this industry at the scale proposed. (EcoNetwork position statement on nuclear energy)

Will the wind farms be there soon?

No – Realistically, it will take 7 or more years of preparatory work, including environmental and regulatory assessments, and if feasible, before any final approvals are given, allowing plenty of time for community engagement.
Even after all approvals are in place, it will likely take many more years (if ever) before a wind farm is established and operational.

Will the declared zone be covered by wind turbines?

No – Developers will bid for defined areas within the zone and will only ever cover a portion of the zone, with suggested separation between individual turbines of at least 1km.
To date, only one feasibility licence has been offered to Novocastrian, in partnership with Equinor an international energy company.
Novocastrian is now assessing the offer of feasibility.
The proposed Novocastrian site will be between 22 and 52 km offshore from the Hunter coast, minimising the need for long transmission upgrades and infrastructure onshore.

Has there been satisfactory community consultation to date?

There was an initial 65-day community consultation period, resulting in 1,916 submissions. This led to the identified zone being reduced in size by a third and moved further (minimum 20 kms) offshore.
Community consultation by governments and the proponents can and should be greatly improved.
Community consultation should include information about climate change and associated impacts, as well as information about potential impacts from offshore wind farm infrastructure.
It is still too early to fully assess the impacts, costs and benefits. We need a thorough and transparent process of investigation, studies and consultation, which will take several years.