Project update - April 2023
1 May 2023
Bass Strait goes under the microscope for Australian first investigations
Australia’s first offshore wind geotechnical campaign kicked off this weekend.
A specialist boat and crew will spend around five weeks at sea collecting soil and rock samples from up to 70 metres beneath the seafloor, at 22 locations within the Star of the South 2019 Exploration Licence area.
Collected samples will be analysed in a specialist laboratory and results used to inform wind farm design.
It was a pleasure to welcome the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Energy and Resources, to tour the Fugro Mariner on Friday, along with other community and industry representatives.
These investigations are a critical next step in the project’s development and are co-funded with the Victorian Government through the Energy Innovation Fund.
Find more information and updates on our website or get in touch so we can answer your questions.
Star of the South CEO, Charles Rattray; Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale; Fugro, Shalu Shajaha; Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and captain of the Fugro Mariner, Bart
Feasibility Licence application submitted
Last week we submitted a Feasibility Licence application to the Australian Government’s Offshore Infrastructure Registrar to continue developing Star of the South off the Gippsland coast.
This is a huge milestone. It follows five years of work to bring offshore wind energy, jobs and investment to Australia.
We’re proud of the strong application our team has put forward. Thank you to everyone who lent their support to our application, and to all those who have been part of the journey since 2018.
All offshore wind projects will require a Feasibility Licence, followed by a Commercial Licence to proceed to construction.
We look forward to learning the outcomes of the government assessment process later this year. We’ll share an update when we know more.
Connecting with Indigenous businesses
We’re excited to attend Deadly in Gippsland in Lakes Entrance on 2-3 May to connect with local Indigenous businesses.
Our team will be there on both days to share information and answer questions about Star of the South. If you’re there, be sure to say hello.
We’ve also joined forces with Kinaway Chamber of Commerce to connect Indigenous businesses to new opportunities in the growing offshore wind industry. Kinaway is a registered charity that aims to support, advise, and create opportunities for Victorian Indigenous businesses.
We look forward to working with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation and Kinaway to ensure Indigenous businesses are involved in building Australia’s offshore wind industry.
Industry Development and Procurement Manager, Katrina (right), at Kinaway’s recent Sista’s in Business event
News from our fish surveys
Marine scientists spent over two weeks surveying pelagic fish in Bass Strait during February, continuing to build our understanding of the local environment.
43 hours of footage collected
More than 500 fish spotted
15+ different species identified
Southern bluefin tuna (pictured below) is just one of the species identified.
It was great to have knowledgeable and experienced local charter operators, Tony and Wayne from Far Out Charters and Brian and Belinda from Port Albert Fishin' Charters, supporting the surveys.
Further analysis of survey findings is underway.
Southern bluefin tuna
Getting you home safely
Did you know that locals and visitors can now travel to and from the new Woodside Beach Hotel using a courtesy bus service? We’re pleased to support this initiative to help people get out, and home, safely.
Woodside Beach Hotel’s new courtesy bus