Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to table a petition. It's a 4½-thousand-signature petition on the offshore wind farm which has been proposed off the coast of Warrnambool and Port Fairy. I thank Richard Conlan for putting this petition together. What this petition says is that the local community strongly opposes the development of this offshore wind farm and has grave concerns for the pristine coastal and marine environment, local endangered species, the Logans Beach Whale Nursery and associated migratory whale pathway, and unique marine bird life, including migratory birds like the short-tailed shearwater. I will seek leave at the end of the speech to table that petition.

What I also would like to table is a freedom-of-information request, which has come through from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water migratory species section. I want to table this as well because it goes to the heart of this petition. It says a lot about the environmental impact that this offshore wind farm will have. But I want to point to two factors in this FOI document. It says: 'The potential for impacts from human-activity underwater noise is of particular concern in areas within or close to habitat-critical-to-survival areas for southern right whales—that is, the reproduction biologically important areas, where whales are resident for long periods—that is, weeks to months—of time and pregnant and nursing females and calves are present.' It says that in this FOI, and I am going to seek to table it.

It also talks about the impact on seabird breeding areas in relation to the proposed declaration areas. Offshore islands near Portland, Lawrence Rocks, Lady Julia Percy Island and Griffiths Island in Port Fairy are important seabird breeding islands. Individuals from other island groups will enter the proposed declaration areas on migration and/or foraging trips. For example, short-tailed shearwaters generally return to their burrows every night, but some feed 150 to 200 kilometres away.

This offshore wind farm must be opposed. The local community have voted with their feet. There are 4½ thousand signatures against it, and I seek leave to table this petition and the FOI request.

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