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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Jordyn Beazley

‘Not on my watch’: how windfarms became a key issue in NSW local elections

People at a rally at Flagstaff Point protesting against a proposed offshore wind turbine farm off the Illawarra coast.
People at a rally against a proposed wind farm off the Illawarra coast, where the issue has dominated conversation about council elections. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Part of what’s driving Mark Watson’s pitch for mayor is his opposition to a project he says is the talk of the town and the “biggest issue” in his coastal home’s history.

The former One Nation candidate for the state government is now running as an independent for mayor of Port Stephens. The coastal town just north of Newcastle overlooks the middle of the 1,800-square kilometre offshore windfarm zone off the Hunter, where the Albanese government plans a renewable energy hub to be operating by 2030.

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