Council
20 March, 2026
Peaceful rally greets Opposition leader
OPPONENTS to an offshore wind farm zone have highlighted their concerns to Opposition Leader Jess Wilson during her visit to the region last weekend.
During a tour of the area, at the invitation of Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell, Ms Wilson spent time at the Warrnambool City Memorial Bowls Club.
Members of the ‘No Offshore Wind Farm Zone – Warrnambool Network’ staged a peaceful rally outside the club on Sunday afternoon, hoping for some interaction with the leader.
While they were unable to have a conversation with the leader, they feel their message was noticed.
“Our rally achieved its goals of being present and reinforcing the issue,” convenor of the No Offshore Wind Farm Zone (Warrnambool to Port Fairy) group, Michael Neoh said.
“Every election the same generic issues across the state are raised – roads, health, taxes. Like the federal election, the Declared Southern Ocean Wind Farm Zone is one issue that is a high profile one localised to the south west coast district (Lower House) and western Victoria region electorate areas.”
Mr Neoh believes last weekend’s rally was also a timely reminder to both Roma Britnell and Jess Wilson that the declared zone is a key local issue.
He said that while the zone was in federal waters, the transmission and associated infrastructure would need to go in state/private land – therefore the planning of such was a state responsibility.
“We have recently seen compulsory acquisition of farming land for transmission infrastructure that may or may not go on the land,” Mr Neoh said.
“Like the on-land renewable energy zones, no comprehensive environmental impact assessments have occurred for the offshore wind zone.”
He believes the zone is adjacent to Logans Beach whale nursery; the “most important eastern Australian nursery for the endangered Southern Right Whale that numbers around 300.”
“Logans Beach is listed as a habitat critical to the survival of this species, in the National Recovery Plan for the Southern Right Whale.”
He added that a freedom of information request for the advice provided to federal energy minister, Chris Bowen, was received but the recommendation redacted.
“This redaction is currently being challenged,” Mr Neoh said.
“While the state Opposition leader, Jess Wilson, did not speak to us at the rally we have and will continue to liaise with her and her office on the matter.
“It was also an opportunity for us to have the issue in front of Warrnambool and Moyne councillors who were also at the bowls club to meet with Ms Wilson.”
According to Mr Neoh, 90 per cent of Moyne respondents to an online council survey indicated they opposed the zone.
“While some Warrnambool councillors opposed the zone during the recent election period, there has been no motion to test the support or opposition by councillors,” he said.
“To say it is a federal or state issue is a cop out as Warrnambool City Council has previously opposed the use of seismic testing for the exploration of gas and oil and Moyne Shire Council, at its July 25, 2023 meeting, formally resolved to oppose seismic testing.
“Councils cannot pick and choose which state/federal issue they want to address.”
Mr Neoh said he would like to see both Warrnambool City and Moyne Shire councils hold a cost-effective plebiscite as part of the postal council elections to determine the community’s position.
“Our network will continue its advocacy to our local state members for their position in the lead up to the Victorian state election in November,” he said.
In a statement issued earlier this week, Ms Britnell said both she and Jess Wilson were concerned about the federal government’s “lack of transparency” and the “cover up” of negative environmental assessment by the Albanese government, given apparent risks to whale migratory pathways and calving and nursing grounds off the coastline in the south west.
“Recent Commonwealth documents released under Freedom of Information have intensified those concerns, with key sections relating to the proposed project’s impact on sensitive whale migratory routes and recognised nursery areas redacted before its public release,” Ms Britnell said.
She reaffirmed that under a Liberal-Nationals government, no project would proceed on ministerial approval alone.
“Proper parliamentary oversight, transparent assessment and genuine environmental scrutiny would be restored to any state government approvals process that the project would require,” she said.
“The redactions in the federal report have only deepened community suspicion; the Liberals would never tick off on any process that shortcuts environmental assessments and puts the migratory whales at risk.”
Ms Wilson believes that if this project “genuinely met environmental expectations, there’d be no need to hide critical information.”
“It appears the federal government has yet to release clear evidence that environmental risks have been properly considered,” she said.
The Opposition leader also spent time on Sunday with Moyne Shire councillors Jordan Lockett, Myra Murrihy, Jim Doukas and CEO Mark Eversteyn.
“It was a great chance to talk about key topics on behalf of the community,” the mayor said.
“We know roads are the number one issue for our residents, farmers and businesses and we will strongly advocate for significantly more funding in the lead up to the November state election.
“We also raised the condition and future needs of public swimming pool infrastructure funding support across the shire as the high level of feedback we received to the survey on our aquatic facilities strategy showed this is a concern for all pool users in Moyne.”
