Proponents of offshore wind projects in WA were given 64 days to submit feasibility licence applications when the Federal Government announced an offshore development zone off the Bunbury coast.

The 4000 square kilometre zone, starting at least 30km offshore is about half of the proposed area that was opened for public consultation earlier in the year.

Feasibility licence applications opened on 3 September, a day after the announcement, and will close on 6 November.

The number of potential applications is uncertain. Known projects include Copenhagen Energy’s Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm; Oceanex’s Bunbury Offshore Wind Farm; and the Myalup Offshore Windfarm Project, a joint venture between Skyborn Renewables and Australis Energy.

In a statement, Copenhagen Energy said the declaration of the zone was a significant milestone but was just the beginning of a process that will require significant survey work and stakeholder engagement.

Oceanex chair Andy Evans told the South Western Times: “The Government has taken into consideration a lot of the comments and submissions that have been made, listened to their views, positive or negative, but also given developers enough to work with to make the area a real success.”

Feasibility licences are among four licences covering offshore energy. It allows the holder to assess, over a period of up to seven years, the feasibility of an
offshore infrastructure and to then apply for a commercial licence.

Criteria for a feasibility licence include having or access to the technical and financial capability to carry out the project, that the project is likely to be viable,
and that the applicant is a suitable person.

The fee for a feasibility licence application is $300,000.

Announcing the WA zone, Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the Bunbury offshore wind industry had the potential to support
11.4 GW of electricity, enough to power all the homes and manufacturing industries in the South West.

“It will bring new employment opportunities to WA, creating close to 7,000 jobs during construction and around 3,500 ongoing jobs for engineers, electrical
technicians, cable installers, boilermakers, crane operators, riggers, seafarers, dockworkers and administrators,” he said.

Licences will only be awarded to developers whose proposed projects do the most to incorporate Australian materials and manufacturing, consult with
local industry, protect the environment, share the marine space and provide benefits to workers, businesses and communities.

Construction can only begin after the feasibility stage is completed and developers have gained subsequent environmental and management plan approvals.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said it received more than 2,600 submissions on the offshore area during the
public consultation period. Submissions raised concerns regarding:

• Environmental impacts, particularly on whales, reefs and the seafloor
• Visual amenity
• Impacts on commercial and recreational fishing.

Submissions also supported:

• A local source of clean, renewable energy
• Action to address climate change
• Employment opportunities and potential benefits to the local community and First Nations people from this new industry.

Mr Bowen said that the declared zone:

• Is smaller than originally proposed
• Is at least 30 km offshore, and 40-50 km from most towns to reduce potential impacts of offshore wind turbines on the views along the coastline of Geographe Bay
• Allows space for the safe management of shipping to and from the Port of Bunbury, and through to Fremantle
• Has removed more than 60% of area requested by recreational fishers, including the hotspot Naturaliste Reef
• Provides unobstructed access to Naturaliste Reef for boats launched from Bunbury, Busselton, Dunsborough and Binningup
• Has further reduced overlap with commercial fisheries including the West Coast Demersal Scalefish and Southern Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline fisheries
• Is further away from known Southern Right Whale habitat, to further reduce the chance of impacts
• Avoids the Ancient Coastline at 90-120 metres depth – a Key Ecological Feature, with potential First Nations cultural significance
• Is large enough to support development of offshore wind in Western Australia.

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