ECONETWORK Port Stephens has cautioned communities of the Hunter against rushing to judgement on proposed offshore wind farms.

“We all need more information, including independent environmental assessments, before taking a position,” said EcoNetwork president Iain Watt.

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“There are many genuine environmental concerns and unanswered questions, and we are only at the beginning of a long process during which there will be multiple opportunities for public input before final decisions are made.

“Climate change remains the primary threat and needs to be addressed urgently, with transition to renewable energy the top priority.

“Emotional reactions may override scientific evidence.

“There’s a risk misinformation is being used to distort the debate about offshore wind so that the most important issue, climate change, will be lost in the discussion.”

EcoNetwork-Port Stephens is a not-for-profit volunteer-run organisation dedicated to preservation of the natural beauty and biodiversity of our Port Stephens estuary, peninsulas and rural hinterland.

The group has recently compiled a document addressing frequently asked questions on the development of offshore wind farms, which can be accessed at http://ecops.au/Windfarm-QandA.

“I strongly encourage all who are interested in or concerned about offshore wind farms to check out this document, which is based on the available scientific literature, and covers a range of issues like danger to marine life including whales, effects on fishing and tourism, and alternatives like onshore wind farms and nuclear energy.

“We might not need or want offshore wind, but we must keep our options open to ensure sufficient electricity supply as fossil fuels are phased out.

“It typically takes around eight to ten years to develop a wind farm including regulatory and environmental approvals before proceeding.

“A lot can change in that time.”

Throughout the offshore wind discussion in recent months, EcoNetwork have maintained a position that “climate change is the biggest exponential threat we face”.

“If we don’t address that there will be no whales or seabirds or tourism industry,” Mr Watt said.

“People should be really focusing on the fact that climate change is happening, it’s real.

“We are going to see catastrophic events happen.

“We may be living in this bubble of paradise but we are going to see it all around us and it will affect our tourism industry if it is so hot you can’t go outside.”

Mr Watt also spoke to the importance of independent environmental impact statements being completed before potential offshore wind projects are given licences.

“The corporate sector is not our friend – the people who are putting this (wind farm proposals) together are the same people that created the oil and gas industry and the government needs to step up and pay for the environmental studies.

“Industry cant be trusted – it has been proven time and time again the corporate sector cant be trusted and we need to make some very fundamental decisions.”

Many locally have questioned the necessity of offshore wind farms, suggesting areas of open space to install onshore wind farms instead.

Mr Watt said that the offshore environment had “higher atmospheric level winds which are different to surface level winds”.

“These guys who are investing in this would be doing it onshore if it was more viable to do it onshore.”