Cadell, also a member of the environment committee, told this masthead it was “false” to suggest he had misrepresented the committee. He said that in February the committee had set a hearing date for Thursday March 6.
He said the secretariat of the committee circulated an email to members proposing to cancel the meeting, Cadell said, but he objected and a meeting was not convened to vote on the matter, as is required to alter proceedings.
The political clash over the hearings is symptomatic of the local debate in several marginal seats ahead of the federal election, due by May.
Local opposition groups are active on social media and campaigning against wind farms, which the government hopes can be built offshore from the NSW electorate of Paterson in the Hunter region, as well as Whitlam in the Illawarra – while relatively safe on an 8 per cent margin to Labor it abuts the ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore, also held by the government but a key target of the opposition.
Local groups are also campaigning against offshore wind development in the marginal Western Australia seat of Canning, based around Bunbury south of Perth, and in the Victorian electorate of Whannon, held by Liberal MP Dan Tehan who under threat from an independent challenger Alex Dyson – both of whom have stated their reservations about the industry.
Alex O’Brien of the anti-wind farm group Responsible Future Illawarra travelled to Canberra to address media last week (week ending Saturday March 8).
“If Labor was truly listening, they would have heard our community’s opposition loud and clear,” he said.
A major offshore farm project in the Illawarra was halted last week by its developer over fears a Peter Dutton-led government would ban development.
Ben Abbott, of No Offshore Turbines for Port Stephens, said there was growing anger in the community leading into the election.
Loading
“Our local representatives have done nothing to ensure our voices are heard.”
However, several senior Labor sources speaking anonymously said the party did not believe offshore wind would play a major role in the election.
The Coalition has pledged to slow the renewables rollout and use more coal and gas until it can complete construction of seven nuclear plants across the country.
The Clean Energy Council survey found that 50 per cent of respondents support gas, 35 per cent nuclear and 33 per cent coal.
Offshore wind farms, which can harness stronger and more reliable winds than onshore turbines, are one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy sectors.
The Albanese government has forecast a local jobs boom when tens of billions of dollars will be invested in six offshore wind zones it has created in Commonwealth waters around the country to make development easier.
It has created wind farm zones in Bunbury in Western Australia, Southern Ocean and Gippsland in Victoria, Bass Strait near Tasmania and Illawarra and Hunter in NSW.
However, the Coalition has pledged that if elected it would scrap the Bunbury, Southern Ocean, Illawarra and Hunter wind farm zones, arguing that the Albanese government has overlooked environmental concerns, as well as the impact on local tourism.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
