Mr Dutton returned to Port Stephens last week to make the announcement, joined by Shadow Energy Minister Ted O’Brien and the recently-announced Liberal candidate for Paterson, Laurence Antcliff.

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Addressing media in Shoal Bay, Mr Dutton made the promise that local anti-wind farm campaigners had long been advocating for.

“If there is a change of government at the next election, then we can give an assurance to this local community that this project will not proceed, this zone will not proceed, and we will make sure that the environment and the local community comes first,” Mr Dutton said.

Mr Antcliff, who will contest the seat of Paterson for the Liberal Party in next year’s election, has made the Labor government’s proposal to develop offshore wind farms off the Hunter coast a focal point of his campaign to date.

“This is not just a bad project, this is an insult to the people and the businesses of Port Stephens,” Mr Anctliff said.

The Coalition’s proposal to build seven nuclear power plants to replace Australia’s coal-fired power stations was also discussed.

During the press conference, a question was asked regarding the suitability of the Upper Hunter as a location for a nuclear power plant, as has been proposed, due to a series of recent earthquakes.

“Australia is the most geologically-stable country, continent, in the world,” Mr O’Brien responded.

“Only two weeks ago we heard evidence from an adviser to the White House in the United States about the earthquakes in Australia.

“He made it crystal clear there is absolutely no risk to having nuclear power plants.

“In fact, the stability of modern nuclear power plants is second-to-none.

“There are far more seismically-active places all around the world that are safely managing nuclear power.”

Mr O’Brien also stated that further details and projected costs of the Coalition’s nuclear plan would be released before the end of 2024.

Paterson MP Meryl Swanson did not mince her words when reacting to Mr Dutton’s visit.

“He (Peter Dutton) just dropped into our electorate yesterday, sprinkled a bit of nuclear fairy dust around and said: ‘Oh we don’t want offshore wind, but we do want a nuclear reactor. We can’t tell you how much it is going to cost, but we’ll get it on the never-never’,” Ms Swanson told the ABC.

“He wants to be the Prime Minister, but at the same time this is the same man who voted with Angus Taylor to set up the offshore wind zone in the first place.

“When he was in government he was all for offshore wind. Now that he wants to be Prime Minister he wants to shut it down and build a nuclear reactor.

“It is actually fanciful and it’s really quite revolting.”

Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears agreed, labelling Mr Dutton’s visit to Port Stephens “a slap in the face to local workers”.

“Under Dutton’s plan, wind turbines 35 kilometres out from the coast of Newcastle would make way for a nuclear power plant in Muswellbrook, notably the site of three earthquakes and more than 50 aftershocks since just August.

“The ramifications of this decision for local workers would be staggering.

“Scrapping Hunter offshore wind doesn’t just eliminate tens of thousands of jobs; it obliterates a chance for our local communities to thrive as the energy sector transitions.”

Mr Shears said the Coalition’s nuclear proposal ignores the science and “openly misleads the public”.

“The Coalition has spent months spreading misinformation about nuclear energy, blatantly disregarding scientific consensus.

“Additionally, they’ve embraced offshore wind disinformation.

“The Coalition’s embrace of these misleading narratives shows a blatant disregard for the interests of workers.”

By Doug CONNOR