Council
22 May, 2026
Liberals pledge no offshore wind farm
THE Victorian Liberal Party has this week voiced its opposition to any offshore wind developments off the Warrnambool and Port Fairy coastline, warning it risks devastating impacts on whale migration and breeding grounds.
Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell was joined by fellow Liberals David Southwick and Nick McGowan at the Logans Beach whale viewing platform on Wednesday morning.
All three said that while they do not oppose offshore wind, they do expect proper environmental standards to be upheld – “not an automatic green light.”
“A 1,000 square kilometre project is proposed for waters that are part of a recognised whale nursery, where endangered southern right whales return each year to breed and raise their calves,” Ms Britnell said.
“The project also threatens other whale species such as the vulnerable fin whale and the endangered pygmy blue whale.
“Whale tourism delivers enormous economic value to the Warrnambool region, supporting local jobs, small businesses and the broader visitor economy.
“To make matters worse, the Commonwealth Government has deepened community suspicion of the project by redacting information about sensitive whale migratory routes from documents released under freedom of information laws.”
She said the Victorian Liberals oppose this project given the serious environmental concerns and its lack of social licence in the South West Coast community.
“Labor cannot claim to care about the environment while approving industrial-scale developments in one of the most sensitive marine environments in the country,” Ms Britnell said.
“Local communities have been ignored, legitimate environmental concerns have been brushed aside, and regional Victorians are being asked to accept all of the risk with none of the answers.”
According to Shadow Minister for the Environment Nick McGowan, hundreds of turbines and years of construction activity in the sensitive ecosystem represents a serious and undesirable risk to our threatened whale populations, their migratory paths, and breeding patterns.
“South west Victoria is world-renowned for its marine ecosystems and under a Jess Wilson government, they will be protected,” Mr McGowan said.
Adding his voice of support this week was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, David Southwick.
“This whale nursery must be protected at all cost. The government is ignoring community concerns and has been for way too long.
“Our whales need to be protected; our marine life needs to be protected and so does our coastal foreshore and that’s why we will strongly oppose any industrial development of this whale nursery here in Warrnambool and Port Fairy.”
