If considered feasible, the wind farm is slated to provide “full power” by 2027. Unions hope the wind farm will provide secure jobs for electricity workers in the Latrobe Valley, where the economy has relied heavily on coal-fired power generation. The Latrobe Valley was hit hard by the closure of the Hazelwood power plant in 2017, and remaining coal-fired power plants are scheduled to begin closing in coming decades. The broader region is bracing for more job losses with the state government phasing out native timber logging by 2030, sparking a furious response from the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union. Previous estimates indicated the Star of the South wind farm could include 250 turbines but that is yet to be determined. Its proposed site is between 10 kilometres and 25 kilometres from Port Albert. Last week a group of unions and Victorian Trades Hall Council launched a report calling for a “direct transition” to help redeploy workers in fossil fuel industries to jobs at Star of the South. They want the commonwealth to establish a “transition authority” and a master plan to develop offshore renewable energy. Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari said political leadership was required to ensure workers and communities relying on fossil fuels were not discarded on the “scrap heap”. “This transition must be managed in a way that ensures workers and their communities are put front and centre,” he said. The union report suggests the wind farm could create 300 ongoing jobs and 2000 construction jobs. The report was also produced by the maritime, electrical and manufacturing unions. A Star of the South spokeswoman said winds were stronger and more reliable at sea, “providing stability into the grid at peak times”. “We’re investigating what the Star of the South could mean for Gippsland and local industry, including how we could help reskill and invest in the local workforce to develop an offshore wind industry in Australia,” she said. The company plans to use existing infrastructure in the Latrobe Valley to feed electricity into the grid. It has begun consultation with communities throughout Gippsland. On Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews said the project was still subject to environment effects processes and federal approvals. But he said supporters almost considered it a form of baseload power given the volume of wind at sea. “That could be firmed up with some battery technology onshore,” he said. “There’d be significant maintenance jobs.” Federal Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the need for an offshore energy infrastructure development framework was an emerging issue. “A future regulatory framework for offshore energy infrastructure will have to accommodate transmission, generation and other ocean-user concerns,” he said. Loading The Victorian government has set a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030. The Yallourn power station is due to begin shutting down from 2029. It provides about a fifth of Victoria’s electricity. Loy Yang B is set to close from 2047 and Loy Yang A is set to run until 2048 although some doubts have been raised about whether generators will reach their scheduled closure dates. Benjamin is a state political reporter
Testing has started on a proposed 2 GW offshore wind farm off the coast of Gippsland, in the Australian state of Victoria. The Star of the South facility is expected to cost between AUD8bn ($5.5bn) and AUD10bn to construct and will provide 18% of the state's power needs. The facility will be fully commissioned by 2027, if it proves feasible. The Victorian Trades Hall Council, along with unions, have called for workers from the fossil fuel and timber logging industries to be redeployed to jobs at the wind farm.