PATERSON MP Meryl Swanson had a mobile office session in Soldiers Point hijacked on Saturday, with locals turning up in numbers to voice their displeasure at proposed offshore wind developments off the Port Stephens coast.

Children, fishers and passionate environmentalists all lined up to speak to the region’s federal representative at the Soldiers Point Bowling Club.

“I hear your concerns, and I personally am on your side in relation to these things (not building the offshore wind farms) but I have to represent everyone and I have to be fair,” Ms Swanson told those gathered.

“I love our area and I absolutely cherish our pristine marine environment, so that point is not lost on me at all.”

Ms Swanson has already held several meetings with commercial and recreational fishers and tourism industry representatives.

“I get that tourism is our absolute bread and butter in this part of the world, but besides that it is just a beautiful place,” she said.

Ms Swanson also hopes to bring Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen to the region to hear the concerns of locals.

The Paterson MP said she understood the level of community concern.

“I am personally not in favour of having a wind farm that is going to upset our environment,” she said.

“But, the only way we are going to, in the bigger picture, save parts of Australia and Port Stephens is by embracing renewables – I know that.

“I totally get that people are very concerned.”

Ms Swanson also reminded attendees that the potential offshore wind farm developments were in the very early planning stages, and not set in stone.

“They still have to get through an environmental impact study and they still have to go through all the environmental approval processes.

“It may be closer to Newcastle, or they may not get there at all in this area,” Ms Swanson said.

Concerns were raised by those present about the independence of environmental impact studies if undertaken by offshore wind proponents.

Ms Swanson said all studies would need to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act.

Troy Radford of the Newcastle Port Stephens Game Fishing Club holds concerns that thorough feasibility studies cannot be completed by the construction date touted by the Federal Government.

“Chris Bowen has stated on 2GB that by 2028 the turbines will be up and running,” he said.

Mr Radford also questioned whether offshore wind projects would deliver jobs for Port Stephens in the long run.

“Where are the jobs going to come from for Port Stephens?

“They are going to be put together in Newcastle, and towed out of Newcastle.

“All the vessels to maintain them will be berthed in Newcastle as there is nowhere in Port Stephens to moor these vessels,” said Radford.

Ms Swanson reiterated that jobs will be created for the region if the proposal goes ahead, but conceded that these may be based in Newcastle.

“There will be a range of people who will benefit, our TAFE courses (for example), with young people choosing to work on these wind farms.”

However Radford believes the tourism industry stands to lose more jobs than the wind farms will deliver.

Attendees were also keen to discuss potential alternatives for renewable energy generation in the Hunter.

“I think throughout the Hunter Valley, with companies like AGL and other proponents, there is a whole raft of proposals being looked at through the Net Zero Task Force – this is only one part of a whole solution.

“It’s wind, it’s battery, we have things like MGA Thermal over here at Tomago that they are looking at setting up – it’s phenomenal what they are looking at,” said Swanson.

By Marian SAMPSON