WITH living rooms and social media groups around Port Stephens suddenly filled with discussion about offshore wind farms, News Of The Area reporter Marian Sampson took to the streets of Soldiers Point to hear local concerns about the potential project.

Troy Radford, the President of Newcastle Port Stephens Game Fishing Club, told News Of The Area, “The submissions, which were kept very quiet, resulted in 66 people of people being opposed to the wind farm off Port Stephens.

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“We have no confidence that the Government is going to listen as two thirds of respondents were against the proposal and yet we still have a zone, and the Government didn’t listen.

“The potential environmental impact that could happen through these (wind farms) isn’t investigated enough and it is not worth the risk.

“We need to do more investigation to make sure we don’t affect the environment more than in a way that it is being affected already.”

Local environmentalist Irene Jones, who played a key role in saving the Mambo Wanda Wetlands, told News Of The Area, “We shouldn’t proceed with the wind farms because we just spent millions of dollars to have a really fabulous view on the Tomaree Coastal Walk and then we are going to ruin everything we have with the whales and our environment.

“I know mankind is accelerating climate change, but nobody wants this; they don’t want it in the Illawarra and we don’t want it here.

“Why can’t they go on land?”

Mick Bradley said, “The wind farms should not be happening here because we don’t need them and they should be put somewhere else – probably off Sydney Harbour and see how they like it.

Ben Abbott said, “We are concerned about what is going to happen in 25 years when they are ready to be pulled down, the jobs are gone, tourism is dead, the fishing industry is dead.

“What are my kids going to do?”

Joshua Abbott told News Of The Area, “I feel like this place Port Stephens is a diamond, and it is going to get a massive stain on it if we get the wind farms.”

By Marian SAMPSON