David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table a petition from the members of the Lyne electorate.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has it been taken through the Petitions Committee?

David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, not yet, but we're running out of time to do that. I seek leave to table it.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted?

Leave not granted.

Speak to it, and we will try and organise a pathway for the petition to be admitted.

David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Twelve thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven people have signed this petition from around Port Stephens in the Lyne electorate and the Paterson electorate opposing the proposed wind farm development off Newcastle and Port Stephens. That's 12,137 people. As has been found out around the world, offshore wind farms are highly unpredictable and hard to maintain. They can be a barrier to navigation on the surface and confuse radar and submarine sonar. It's adjacent to one of the busiest ports in the country, the Port of Newcastle, as well as Port Stephens. There's a huge marine industry based around food security, with food supply coming from that area, as well as bluewater economy. It is also an incredibly expensive way to provide baseload energy. It requires gas backup, pumped hydro backup, batteries, coal plants and gas plants—you name it. If you're going to rely on a bit of wind, that's the consequence. You just get more build and more intensity. This offshore wind farm is proposed as the source of energy for Tomago, but it would be better to have a highly efficient baseload energy system. I commend this petition, which will go to the Petitions Committee. I'd like to thank all those people that signed the petition, because it's a major issue for the whole state. (Time expired)