Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen promised in February to take in all the feedback concerning the Hunter’s first offshore wind zone.

And, it appears as though he did it.

Originally 5,000km2, the official “declared area”, released on Wednesday 12 July, now covers 1,854km2 and extends from Port Stephens in the north to Norah Head in the south.

It will also be 20km and 35km respectively from the coast in the Pacific Ocean.

The declaration followed consultation with residents, state and local government representatives, First Nations people, existing industries including shipping, defence, fishing and other marine users.

Mr Bowen said it would pave the way for energy and job security in a region that had helped to power Australia for generations.

“This is the second officially-declared offshore wind zone in the country,” he stated.

“And, being in a heartland of heavy industry, it will support future onshore manufacturing and energy sectors in NSW for decades to come.

“The strong, consistent winds off the coast, along with the region’s skilled workforce, make the Hunter an ideal location for an offshore wind industry.”

The final wind zone was declared after two months of public consultation.

As a result, it’s a smaller footprint than the originally-proposed area.

The zone could generate up to 5GW of wind energy, enough to power an estimated 4.2 million homes and power local industries into the future.

“The Hunter is undergoing significant economic change and the prospect of creating new career opportunities for decades to come through a new offshore wind industry is a game-changer,” Mr Bowen said.

“Today’s declaration opens the door for an additional industry in the Hunter, which could create over 3,000 construction and another 1,560 ongoing jobs.”

Newcastle federal MP Sharon Claydon agreed it was an exciting opportunity for the region.

“The Albanese Labor government has listened to community feedback and revised the offshore wind zone accordingly to ensure it coexists alongside whale migration, bird and sea life, and our shipping industry,” she said.

“This is an important part of a suite of measures, which will position Newcastle and the Hunter as a clean energy hub, including an $100 million investment to ensure hydrogen readiness at the Port of Newcastle.

“Newcastle has a bright future.”

While welcoming the government’s declaration, the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) believes guarantees around the use of local content on the project were needed.

The organisation wants to see Australian manufacturers prioritised on the wind farm build.

“There are local manufacturers and workers ready and able to build towers, turbines and other essential infrastructure,” NSW/ACT state secretary Cory Wright said.

“It would be a missed opportunity to turn to imported turbines and towers.

“Now is the time to invest in local workers and create a strong renewable energy manufacturing sector.

“AMWU members in the Hunter have helped to power NSW for generations.

“So, we hope they’ll continue to do so while working on renewable energy projects.

“There needs to be an investment in TAFE to ensure we have local workers who can work in new and emerging industries such as offshore wind.

“Those employees in traditional power generation should be supported with retraining opportunities, too.”

Feasibility licence applications for offshore wind projects in the Hunter area will open from 8 August until 14 November.

During that stage, developers will be required to undertake further consultation on individual proposals, including detailed environmental assessments and impacts on other marine users.

Construction can only begin after feasibility stage is completed, and environmental and management plan approvals are gained.

The final declared zone can be found at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/renewable/establishing-offshore-infrastructure

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