Peninsula to Play Vital Role in Offshore Wind Future
The Port of Hastings is set to undergo a bold transformation over the next decade, and we must embrace this unique opportunity for our region.
On 11 March, the Victorian Government confirmed that the site of the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal would be at the Port of Hastings. The terminal will support wind construction delivery, process turbines, and service offshore wind developments in the Bass Strait.
This is a game changer, and here's why.
1. Geography - we are uniquely positioned to be at the centre of Australia's transmission to renewable energy. The Port of Hastings is a deep-water port located an hour from Melbourne, home to a large workforce in the South East and Mornington Peninsula, and suitably positioned close to the Government's Off Shore Wind developments in the Bass Strait. This places the Mornington Peninsula in a strategically suitable position to be the home of the assembly line for this industry.
2. Future Technology Industry - This is the most transformative industrial announcement in Hastings in living memory. Western Port has been home to industry for decades, and communities, business and government have fought many battles over what should and shouldn't be allowed in the bay. Just recently, our community fought the proposal for a gas import terminal at Crib Point and subsequently the plans were rejected by the Victorian Government. So, suitable industry can and should operate in our region provided projects pass environmental safeguards and marry up with community expectations. This project does just that.
3. Jobs - the Offshore Wind Industry will - according to the Victorian Government - produce 6,000 jobs. And now, with the Port of Hastings site confirmed as the assembly location, Western Port and the Mornington Peninsula reap some of those direct economic benefits. The Committee for Mornington Peninsula wants to see our region be a place where we can live, work and invest - and we are pleased to see that this project will create local jobs and attract further investment into our region.
There's still a lot of work to do, and the project will undergo a thorough Environmental Effects Statement (EES) before the project is progressed.
The Committee welcomes significant government investment into the Mornington Peninsula, and anticipates the Off Shore Wind Implementation Statement 3 to be delivered later this year.
Josh Sinclair is the CEO of Committee for Mornington Peninsula
