COUNCILLOR Jason Pauling has urged Lake Macquarie City Council not to jump the gun in its support for a renewable energy zone off the Hunter coastline.
The council voted to make a submission to the federal government largely in support of the project, which could see wind energy generated 10 to 25 kilometres offshore.
For Cr Jason Pauling, it was far too soon to stand firmly on either side of the fence.
"I simply don't know enough about this yet, and I can think of a whole pack of potential problems that would prohibit me supporting any report that says we're supportive of the proposal in any way, shape or form at this point," he said.
"I suspect it's probably a stealth attack on coal mines and coal ships, I don't know.
"I think it's grossly inappropriate for us to write supportive commentary at this point when we should be saying, 'Hey, hang on - we want to know a heap more before we take a formal position on this'."
About 32 kilometres of the city's coastline is directly inshore of the proposed area, and the council's submission said it saw both challenges and opportunities in the development but it was "largely supportive" of a renewable industry in the region.
It backed the proposal for the potential economic, investment and job creation opportunities for the region, as well as the energy security it would provide.
"From an environmental standpoint, we support the development of alternative power sources that will help Australia meet its emissions reduction targets, but have some concerns about ecological and visual impacts and safety implications of renewable energy infrastructure being site off the city's coastline," it said.
The council said it saw the benefits in transitioning the nation's energy supply away from fossil fuels towards more sustainable sources that reduce carbon emissions.
It raised concerns with impacts on the environment, including marine and bird life, but said the benefits to the city's economy would be "significant" especially given the closure of Eraring Power Station in 2025.
"The jobs that will be created by a regionally based offshore renewable energy industry will help diversify our city's economy and make it more resilient to change," it said.
The state government declared a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in the Hunter and Central Coast in December 2022.
In February, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen proposed a 2,800sqkm area off the Hunter coast for the development of renewable energy projects, most likely to be wind turbines.
The region was identified as an ideal location for a REZ because of its proximity to existing power stations, rehabilitated mining land, electricity infrastructure, the port and transport infrastructure and its skilled workforce.
The federal government has made a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, including reducing emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and generating 82 per cent of the country's electricity using renewable sources.
As part of its submission, the council raised concerns about impacts on tourism operators working on or around the Lake Macquarie coastline, including aircraft that fly out of the airport at Belmont.
It said it is working to attract larger vessels like super yachts to the area and would need to make sure the project wouldn't limit any activities or passage for offshore tourism operators.
"Council is broadly supportive of the development of an offshore renewable energy zone in the Hunter, recognising the national and global imperative to shift to more sustainable sources of energy generation, the suitability of the region for this type of industry and the potential economic benefits it could provide for our city and region," it said.
"However, we have concerns about potential ecological and visual impacts, effects on tourism, boating and aviation, the safety of offshore and onshore infrastructure, proximity of the closer sections of the proposed zone to the city coastline and the potential alienation of coastal land due to infrastructure associated with offshore renewable energy generation.
"Council and our community would need to be provided with more information about these impacts, and better understand the planning pathways for future projects, before being able to commit full support for the proposal."
The council recommended key stakeholders be engaged in the development of the proposal including Bahtabah and Awabakal Aboriginal land councils, Lake Macquarie Airport operators, fishing clubs and tourism operators.
Consultation on the project closes April 28.
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