Environment and planning
Star of the South will go through comprehensive environmental assessment, approval and licensing processes before it can be constructed. There are several opportunities for public input to these important processes.
Environmental assessments
A coordinated Environment Impact Statement (EIS) and Environment Effects Statement (EES) is being used to assess potentially significant environmental, social, economic and planning aspects of the project.
-
Aboriginal cultural heritage - Assessing potential impacts to places of Aboriginal cultural heritage value, such as scattered artefacts, burial sites, scarred trees and shell middens.
Agriculture - Assessing impacts from onshore infrastructure to agricultural and plantation uses.
Air quality - Assessing potential air quality impacts, particularly dust from onshore construction works.
Birds (seabirds and shorebirds) - Understanding bird behaviour, foraging areas and habitats and assessing potential changes. A collision risk model will be used to predict the risk of birds colliding with turbines.
Business and tourism - Understanding the potential effect of the project to businesses and tourism in the region. This study also considers economic benefits such as increased spending, jobs and training opportunities.
Coastal processes and sediment transport- Assessing potential changes to wave and current flow and understanding how local currents transport sediment.
Ecology (benthic) - Assessing potential changes to habitat and marine species that live on or within the seabed from construction and operation of offshore infrastructure.
Ecology (onshore) - Understanding potential impacts to plants, native vegetation and animals from construction and operation of infrastructure on land.
Electromagnetic interference - Measuring electromagnetic interference created by operating transmission infrastructure and understanding potential effects on health.
Fish and invertebrates - Assessing potential impacts and benefits to fish, invertebrates and white sharks, including potential effects from construction and operation activities such as noise and electromagnetic fields.
Fishing - Considering changes, impacts and benefits to fishing activities during construction, operation and decommissioning of the offshore wind farm.
Groundwater - Understanding potential changes to groundwater levels or flows from construction of onshore infrastructure.
Historic heritage - Understanding potential impacts on historic heritage sites and landscapes from construction of onshore infrastructure.
Infrastructure and co-existence with other users - Assessing potential impacts to existing infrastructure such as Basslink, oil and gas sites, aviation and radars, from construction and operation of offshore infrastructure.
Land use planning - Assessing potential effects on land use planning from onshore infrastructure. Understanding any changes to how land can be used and associated economic impacts.
Marine mammals and turtles - Understanding potential impacts to whales, seals, dolphins and turtles from construction noise and vibration. Assessing potential effects during operation from vessels, electromagnetic fields and noise.
Marine protected areas - Assessing potential impacts to protected areas such as the Corner Inlet and Western Port Ramsar sites as well as other protected areas such as Beagle Marine Park.
Maritime heritage - Assessing potential impacts on heritage values in the water such as shipwrecks and archaeological sites.
Noise - Assessing potential changes to noise levels at homes and other sensitive locations during construction and operation of the offshore wind farm and onshore infrastructure.
Seascape, landscape and visual - Understanding potential visual impacts from the project, including turbines and substations. Assessing visual changes to the seascape and landscape from the coastline at important locations and tourist sites.
Shipping and navigation - Assessing potential impacts of project vessels on existing shipping and vessel routes. Understanding navigation in the wind farm and hazards around construction an operational activities.
Social - Assessing potential positive and negative social effects on local residents, communities, farmers and landholders in the area during construction, operation and decommissioning.
Soil and waste - Understanding if any acid sulfate soils or contaminated land is present in the area and how this would be managed.
Surface water - Assessing potential impacts to waterways and floodplains where transmission infrastructure would be constructed near waterways. Understanding potential effects of construction on sediment movement and erosion.
Traffic and transport - Reviewing traffic and transport impacts during construction such as potential traffic disruptions or changes for residents, businesses and tourists. Assessing temporary changes to local and regional roads, safety risks and travel routes for transporting materials.
Find out more about some of the investigations we’ve completed and undergoing as part of the environmental assessments.
The assessments will be released for public review and submissions in 2024.
We’ve prepared a plan which sets out our approach to community consultation during the preparation of our environmental assessments. Read the EIS/EES Consultation Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB).
Deploying underwater cameras
Collecting data on the local ecology
Environment and planning approvals
The Star of the South project will need:
Approval under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Planning approval under the Victorian Planning and Environment Act 1987
Marine and coastal consent under the Victorian Marine and Coastal Act 2019
An approved cultural heritage management plan under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
Other approvals may also be needed. These will be identified through the assessment process and in consultation with regulatory agencies.
Licensing and regulation
The Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act, which provides a pathway for offshore wind projects to be built and operated off the coast of Australia, came into effect in June 2022.
In December the Australian Government declared an area of Bass Strait off Gippsland as suitable for offshore developments under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure framework.
In April 2023 offshore wind projects applied for a Feasibility Licence in this area to explore project feasibility.
A second, Commercial Licence, is needed to construct, operate and decommission a wind farm.
We currently hold an exploration licence, issued in 2019, to investigate an area of Bass Strait.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is the Offshore Energy Regulator.