Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to continue consulting with communities affected by the Hunter Offshore Wind Project following an outcry over its potential environmental impacts at Port Stephens.
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It came after Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen refused to reopen the formal consultation process during a meeting with game fishers at Nelson Bay on Tuesday.
The area's fishing and tourism sectors fear the project, which extends from Port Stephens to Catherine Hill Bay, will wreak havoc with east coast current flows and potentially trigger a series of disastrous environmental consequences.
More than a 100 protesters waiting outside the invite-only meeting also expressed their displeasure at what they said was an inadequate consultation process.
Several said they only became aware of the project days before the consultation period closed.
The community will express its anger again at a public protest scheduled to take place at Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay at 10.30am on Saturday October 7.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Albanese cited modifications that were made to the original offshore wind proposal as a result of feedback received during the two month community consultation process that ran from February 23 to April 28.
"The fact that Chris Bowen was there (on Tuesday) reflects my government's approach; we consult and work with communities to make sure we get their support," Mr Albanese said.
He said stakeholders would have another three opportunities to have their say about the project as part of the ongoing approval process.
Mr Albanese also pointed to the project's job creation potential, which includes an estimated 4800 jobs during the construction phase and another 2400 ongoing maintenance jobs.
"We will continue to consult and engage on the project as Chris Bowen was doing yesterday," Mr Albanese said.
Imagine Cruises manager Frank Future told a rival meeting hosted by shadow energy minister Ted O'Brien that the area's pristine nature, water, beaches, wildlife, views and fishing brought hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy.
"Nearly everybody in this room would support renewable energy," he said.
"But this is a marine-based community ... there are not many places in the world you can experience this."
Local Ben Abbott told the forum he had three kids and was worried the wind zone off Port Stephens would cause the area to become "a ghost town".
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
