Renewables advocates seek swift progress on offshore wind projects after Labor election winBy Nick McLaren and Keely JohnsonABC IllawarraTopic:Wind Energy4h ago4 hours agoWed 7 May 2025 at 9:45pmOffshore wind developments have been a contentious issue in the Illawarra and Hunter regions. (Supplied: BlueFloat Energy)In short:Progress on offshore wind projects across Australia is expected after Labor's massive election win.The Coalition had promised to scrap four of the six declared zones for the projects if it won.What's next?Pro-renewables community group Good for the Gong says Labor now has "a mandate from the Australian public" to push ahead.abc.net.au/news/offshore-wind-zones-call-for-progress-after-labour-re-election/105264734Link copiedShareShare articleThe re-elected federal government is being urged to get on with establishing Australia's offshore wind industry, with the election result hailed as an endorsement of the renewables rollout.In the lead-up to the election, opposing Labor's energy plan was a key platform of the Coalition, including a promise to scrap four of the six declared offshore wind zones.Coalition leadership made rare incursions into Labor's NSW heartland to stoke community opposition to the technology.Federal politics live updates: Get the latest on the post-election election landscapeLive results: Find out what's happening in your seat as counting continuesIn the Illawarra, the Liberal Party failed to gain ground in any of the three seats adjacent to a zone flagged for the region.Community renewables group Good for the Gong supports the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone. (Supplied)Sophie Walter from pro-renewables community group Good for the Gong said the Australian public had sent a clear message about offshore wind technology."Now that the election is over, we'll be really pressing the government to get on with it, but to make sure that it's done in a way that delivers benefits to the communities," she said."I think Labor now has a mandate from the Australian public, and the Illawarra public, to move quickly and get these projects underway."Zones underwayThe six zones around the country are in various stages of development.Locations of offshore wind zones across Australia. (ABC News: Paul Sellenger)The Illawarra area, declared in June 2024, has the potential to generate 2.9 gigawatts of power and is expected to create 870 ongoing jobs.The government has yet to issue a feasibility licence for the zone, with US energy company BlueFloat putting its application on hold due to the lack of bipartisan support.Member for the Wollongong seat of Cunningham Alison Byrnes bore the brunt of the anti-wind farm lobby throughout the campaign.But she was comfortably re-elected with a 3.8 per cent increase in her primary vote to increase Labor's stranglehold on the seat.Alison Byrnes (right) has been re-elected as the federal Member for Cunningham. (ABC Illawarra: Kelly Fuller)"We need to wait for the new minister to be appointed and see what the process is going forward on that [offshore wind]," she said."The company that had put in the only feasibility licence had asked for that to be paused pending the outcome of the election, so we'll see where that progresses over the coming month."No more 'misinformation'In the Hunter region, local communities and industry are also awaiting movement on the Hunter Offshore Wind farm.The federal government awarded a feasibility licence for the project to Novocastrian Wind, owned by Equinor and Oceanex Energy, in February.It is poised to be the first floating offshore wind farm in the country.Election fallout and analysis:How Peter Dutton's campaign flew off a cliffANALYSIS: The Coalition is split on nuclear after it failed to win votesAnthony Albanese suggests Greens responsible for their own fallWant even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 federal election coverageCatch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on ABC iview and ABC ListenHowever, the company also delayed its decision to proceed with the licence until after the election.In a statement, Novocastrian Wind said it was "still assessing" its plans moving forward.The offshore wind information warPhoto shows A map shows Newcastle on the Australian coast, with wind turbines in the seaOffshore wind offers great promise for Australia, but the industry will have to win an information war to convince some towns to take it up.Justin Page from the Hunter Jobs Alliance said he was eager to see the back of "misinformation" circulating around offshore wind."I think it's time to cut through all the misinformation and actually look at the proper, fact-based assessment of the environmental and economic impacts of offshore wind for the Hunter," he said.The project is expected to create 3,000 jobs during the peak of construction and more than 200 ongoing jobs, which Mr Page said would benefit the region."It's massive for jobs," he said."But also, to support our manufacturing industries and sectors like Tomago Aluminium, to be able to have clean energy for them to thrive into the future."Parts of the Illawarra community remain opposed to offshore wind. (ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez)Mr Page said the government needed to now focus on upskilling and retraining the region's workforce to work in the renewable energy sector."We need to develop pathways for our workers in coal mining and coal-fired power stations to move into the renewable energy and new industry sectors," he said."The federal government's already put some policies in place, and we've had a $61 million commitment for a TAFE Centre of Excellence here in the Hunter to facilitate training for those workers."I think with Labor now having another three years in government, we've got the best chance to actually help transition those workers."Elephant in the roomThe director of the Energy Futures Network at the University of Wollongong, Ty Christopher, said Labor's re-election provided consistency.Clean energy expert Ty Christopher says companies will be reluctant to invest in the Illawarra until there is a clear plan to upgrade infrastructure. (ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez)He said legitimate concerns about the technology and environmental impacts of offshore wind still needed to be assessed."All investors want certainty," he said."The election result provides that stability and that certainty for people to commit to their investment here in Australia … whether they are Australian super funds or whether they are overseas investors."Mr Christopher said the Trump administration spelled uncertainty for renewables in the United States, but that could be a good thing for renewables in Australia."But the elephant in the room that we have to acknowledge here … is Trump's behaviour in the US has created so much volatility and uncertainty that it has scared a lot of global capital out of the United States," he said."And what a wonderful thing for Australia, for that global capital to find a home here and to help us decarbonise our lives, decarbonise our industry and become a global powerhouse in renewable energy."ABC Illawarra — local news in your inboxGet our local newsletter, delivered free each ThursdayYour information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 4h ago4 hours agoWed 7 May 2025 at 9:45pm, updated 1h ago1 hours agoThu 8 May 2025 at 12:38amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top Stories'He was that toxic': 600 unused posters tell the story of Dutton's failed campaignTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows Backlit photo of a Dutton press conference, his silhouette centred in front of a microphoneAustralia's best sports rights in the hands of a Soviet-born, former oil tycoonTopic:Media IndustryAlbanese to speak with King Charles, Labor factions hash out next ministryLIVEPhoto shows Albanese, at a press conference, raises his hands while speaking.Doctor told Erin Patterson she might need liver transplant, court hearsLIVEPhoto shows A digital drawing of Erin Patterson wearing a pink shirt'Offensive': PM unleashes on ousted Greens MPTopic:Government and PoliticsPhoto shows A composite image of two men wearing suits sitting in the House of Representatives.Related stories'Won't back down': Inside the anti-wind farm crusade threatening Labor seatsTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows compositie of a man and ocean wind turbinesDo offshore turbines kill whales? 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