SOME Norah Head residents are breathing a sigh of relief following the federal government's plan for a smaller offshore wind zone off the Hunter coastline, but people in Swansea and Port Stephens have a lot of unanswered questions, critics say.
Glenna Cluff, who lives at Buff Point near Budgewoi, but was also involved with the Love Norah Head group which has voiced concerns over the project, said it was unlikely to be smooth sailing from here on in.
The chance for an independent environmental impact study seems to have gone by the way side, now that any such research would be conducted by someone with a contract, leaving question unanswered about altered natural structures such as sand dunes, waterways, and the pathways of migrating whales.
Other concerns included the idea the project was being rushed to hit 2030 targets, and that some of the technology was not yet fully tested, Mrs Cluff said.
"There was a feeling around the consultation table that I sat at that the government wasn't looking at alternatives, and people were worried that this was being rushed," she said.
One of her biggest concerns was where would the windfarm come to shore, and whether that would be across Lake Munmorah and or Tuggerah Lake, two "already stressed" waterways.
"They've got to bring it ashore somewhere, and they've got to have infrastructure somewhere, where are they going to join it? And when it comes to shore it's a full fledged trench metres and meters across with great big cables."
Visiting the Hunter today (Wednesday, July 12) following the announcement on Tuesday, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said individual proponents would still need to go through an environmental approvals process looking at, among other things, whale migration.
"Whales coexist with wind farms around the world. Whales are smart animals. They can navigate around gas rigs, cargo ships, cruise ships, offshore wind turbines.
"I've given it a little bit more room around Cabbage Tree Island to allow plenty of room for Gould's petrel to fly and grow. The Hunter will be a renewable energy superpower, but we'll do it right.
"We'll do it with the community and bring the community with us on this journey."
In terms of the visual impact, they were going to be "20 to 30 kilometres away", Mr Bowen said.
"Yes, on a clear day you can see them, but they are not in your face. They're a bit more of a speck in the distance. "Newcastle has a long tradition of being a working port with cargo ships which you can see, and I don't think people by and large object to that.
"They know that's part of living in Newcastle."
The Federal MP for Fairfax on the Sunshine Coast, Ted O'Brien, who is opposition spokesman on climate change and energy, said he was grateful to the Norah Head community for voicing their concerns with him at a public forum recently.
"The community's decisive action in rallying against the inadequate consultation process has led to substantive results but this is not over for residents of the Hunter and the Central Coast and countless other communities across Australia which face similar challenges," he said.
