A modified proposal for a renewable energy terminal at the Port of Hastings has reignited debate over whether economic growth should come at the expense of the environment.
Nearly 2,700 pages of planning and scientific documents were released late last Wednesday by the State Government, with just 10 business days for public feedback.
The modified proposal, which includes five months of 24/7 dredging and the construction of a massive terminal on reclaimed seabed at the Port of Hastings, has drawn sharply divided responses from across the community.
Steve Beardon, a former Casey councillor and long-time proponent of industrial development in the south east, believed the terminal is critical to revitalising the region’s economy.
“The environment cannot take precedent over jobs, export dollars, hospitals, airports, much-needed housing and lifestyle needs of the majority,” he said.
“We’re a very large country. We’ve got plenty of environmental areas for people to visit, but this is an industrial area. It’s already industrialised, so let’s take a further look and let’s capitalise upon it.”
Apart from the Terminal, Mr Beardon has long been advocating for a freight rail link from Dandenong South through to the Port of Hastings, and an airport down in the south, which altogether would put Casey South as an industrial hub on the map.
“If the Port of Hastings (Terminal) actually goes ahead, then an airport will get the green light. And then from there on, Casey’s going to be rolling in money,” he said.
“It needs to happen. We need to have the courage to go ahead and build these things. Otherwise, we’re going to go backwards as a country, especially down south.
“Casey has probably one of the largest populations of young people coming through anywhere in Australia, and they need jobs.”
Casey Councillor Lynette Pereira, who spoke in a personal capacity as the founding member of the former Western Port Action Group, offered a different view.
She said that every couple of years, a new development would be proposed down at the Western Port.
“I just feel so sad because I feel like one day, when the community just hasn’t got the will to keep fighting it, the government will just override and do whatever they want to do,” she said.
Ms Pereira said Western Port is a “really precious” bay.
She shared her “strongest possible objection” on her Facebook, claiming that the modified proposal remained “deeply flawed” and “environmentally reckless”.
“The changes made since the 2023 version are superficial, and the overall impacts remain unacceptable,” she stated.
Ms Pereira especially warned that dredging the bay’s muddy, narrow channels would stir up sediments repeatedly, permanently damaging fish nurseries, mangroves, and migratory bird habitats.
“I’m not convinced that this can be done without permanent damage to the bay,” she said.
“They’ve got an alternative. They can do it at Geelong Port. I don’t know why they won’t put it there. I wish they would just leave Western Port alone.”
Ms Pereira listed the advantages of Geelong Port, namely being already industrialised, having deep-water access, fewer ecological sensitivities, and existing community and government support.
“Western Port is a treasure, not a terminal. Once it is dredged, filled and industrialised, it is gone forever,” she said.
Chief executive officer of the non-profit organisation Western Port Biosphere Mel Barker said it was too early to form a view on the acceptability of the Terminal.
She pointed out that there are definitely some irreversible consequences because of the proposed reclamation.
She acknowledged the project’s potential benefits but stressed the need for further research and proper community engagement.
“We are concerned because for us, these Ramsar Wetlands are really internationally significant habitat for lots of species, so we’d really need to see that more comprehensive science being completed before we could form a definitive view on that.”
Mel explained that the documents released by the Port of Hastings included only limited preliminary impact assessments.
“So should Minister Watt (Federal Environment Minister) says, I’m happy for this to go through a regulatory process, the Port of Hastings will then engage on a whole range of more studies and more science to do final impact assessments,” she said.
“It’s those impact assessments that really tell you what the impact of this proposal will be. And then that goes back out for community consultation. And then that goes to both the State and Commonwealth ministers to determine whether they think the proposed project should proceed to construction.
“We strongly support accelerated transition towards renewables away from fossil fuels, and want to make sure that there’s a science-based process to make sure there are informed decisions before it would be allowed to commence or not.”
The Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council echoed these concerns, saying the region’s ecosystem is “precious and fragile.”
“Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council Inc are against dredging for new infrastructure in Westernport Bay. We agree with The Federal Government that the ecosystem is precious and fragile,” a spokesperson said.
“We have asked for the analysis of different sites for the wind energy terminal. Tasmania is building one in Port Bell, and we believe that cooperation with them, rather than duplication, would save energy and resources.”
The Terminal project, known as the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal, was proposed back in 2023 to “develop and operate a facility to serve as a base for the assembly of offshore wind farms” at the Port of Hastings.
Then-Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek rejected the proposal publicly in January 2024, citing environmental concerns.
The State Government then modified the proposal based on the concerns, mainly reducing the size of reclamation and dredging.
The public is invited to submit their feedback on the 2025 proposal.
To access all the supporting documents and provide your feedback, visit: epbcpublicportal.environment.gov.au/open-for-comments/project-decision/?id=17e2d268-8951-f011-877a-000d3a6b1fdf&fbclid=IwY2xjawLJbw1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFqdVMwckdyd0VBZm5MWXNJAR6o4saLHXNmxL4eH8pNK5iDBgdRzP443b1Zou-llRt5mzbMQtTpns9Mv5t7pg_aem_fZjoZlM6lC3SxhFEN7nECg
Submission closes on Wednesday 9 July.
