Press conference, Melbourne, Victoria

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, thanks for coming, everyone. Today I'm announcing the next significant step in development of Australia's offshore wind industry. The Gippsland zone was the first zone I declared and it'll be the first zone which I issue feasibility licences. Gippsland's very important for Australia's energy future. The people of Gippsland have powered Australia for many generations and will power Australia for many generations to come. And the licences that we are issuing today, or moving towards today, have the potential to generate 25 gigawatts of new energy. That's enough to power Gippsland industry 100 times over or more energy than the state of Victoria currently produces today.

And so today I'm announcing that I have issued six feasibility licences to six proponents who are High Sea Wind, Gippsland Skies, Blue Mackerel, Kut-Wut Brataualung, Orsted Offshore Wind, and Star of the South. And in addition, I'm issuing a notice that I intend to issue six more licences to six more proponents after First Nations consultation, as is required under the Act.

This is a good day for Gippsland. A lot of jobs to be generated for Gippsland, a lot of energy to be generated for the people of Victoria. This zone that I previously declared now moves towards these twelve offshore wind farms, which will play an important role for Australia's future and important role for Victoria's future. Happy to be making this announcement today. It's the next significant step. Long way to go. We're not going to see wind farms up and operating next year or in the next two years, but they will play a role in Australia and Victoria's future. Important part of Victoria Government's energy plans, which we strongly support and work with them to achieve. I congratulate the Victorian Government on their ambition. And it's a good day for people of Gippsland, happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: When are the first turbines expected to turn.

CHRIS BOWEN: Not until much later this decade or early in the 2030s. They'll be on different timeframes. Some are more advanced than others. It'd be good to have some power around that 2030 mark. But we've got to get it right, there will be more environmental approvals of consultation to go. They will go in as soon as they're able to, but not a day earlier than they should.

JOURNALIST: And how important is offshore wind for 2035 targets? And Simon Corbell has just become the Chairman of the State Electricity Commission in Victoria, and has endorsed the Victoria 95 per cent renewables target by 2035. Is that a potential national objective? Is that something within your thinking?

CHRIS BOWEN: Yeah. So, offshore wind doesn't play a role in our 2030 target. You're right, it will play a role in our 2035 target, but we've not announced what that is yet. There's consultation underway, Climate Change Authority advice coming in, so some way to go out there, but they'll offshore it will play a role in our 2035 target. Of course, energy is around 30 per cent of our emissions, so it won't be the determining factor, but it'll be a factor.

I congratulate Mr Corbell on his appointment. I know him well. I think he’ll play a good role. I recognise and respect the role of offshore wind targets in Victoria's plans. A little bit different across the country. For example, there's no offshore wind in Queensland or the Northern Territory. So, I think it's a target which is appropriate in Victoria, but will play a role in national targets, but not necessary to codify an offshore wind target across the country.

JOURNALIST: A new proposed FIRB rules that have been proposed to streamline approvals for a lot of important projects and investors that we're sort of comfortable with, but they could also have a negative impact on principally Chinese investors if they became important for something like offshore wind. How would that be balanced out?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, my friend the Treasurer is making this speech later in the day. It's a very good announcement he's making. Obviously, I'll leave the details of that announcement to him, but what he is saying correctly is that we need to facilitate and make easier investments which would receive a tick of approval ultimately. But we need to make that process as smooth as possible. But inevitably, since we've had a foreign investment regime since the 1970s, there are investments which need greater scrutiny and we need to do that appropriately. So, this is a reform which, if you like, facilitates investments, which certainly encourage and provides appropriate scrutiny for those who need it. And that's the appropriate model for Australia in 2024.

JOURNALIST: The Port of Hastings plan for a terminal to build these wind turbines was rejected by the Federal Government due to environmental concerns. How can, can the wind farming industry get off the ground without this?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, the wind farm industry needs ports. Offshore wind needs ports. We'll continue to work with the Victorian Government and other state governments about what ports they are. That's part of the good news, is that offshore wind farms need a lot of maintenance. They need ships to conduct that maintenance. That means jobs for ship workers, jobs for ports.

Our position is no secret. Every project must go through appropriate environmental approvals, including Port of Hastings. The Victorian Government is considering its position going forward. We'll work with them as productively as we can for the law and apply the law, but there'll be offshore wind farm support in ports on the southern coast. We'll continue to work with the Victorian Government about exactly where and how.

JOURNALIST: Do you think there’s still wildlife that’s a roadblock?

CHRIS BOWEN: It's a matter for the Victorian Government as to whether they intend to submit a revised application or we go down a different path.

JOURNALIST: You spoke very glowingly in there about the potential for households and customer owned resources, and especially electric vehicles and vehicle to grid charging or bidirectional charging. How does the Federal Government propose - I know there's a big initiative going on, but how does the Federal Government, what more can the Federal Government do in terms of budget initiatives, programs and so on, to encourage the take up of the participation of customer energy resources in virtual power plants, in bidirectional charging and so on?

CHRIS BOWEN: Ben, I think you're answering your own question. There's a ministerial council process well underway. It requires close coordination throughout the Commonwealth and the states. The states hold quite a lot of the levers here, so we're working closely with them to really get our consumer own energy regime up to scratch. It's got huge opportunities for our country, some role potentially for budget support down the track. But the more important thing at this point is to get a regulatory regime right which is what the states and territories are working with us on.

JOURNALIST: Well, yes, on gas, you talk about the need for more gas, which, you know, everyone, most people recognise, but the big question is where to get it is, you know, we know Bass Strait's running out, there's a few people exploring in Bass Strait, but the big kind of elephant in the room has always been onshore gas in both Victoria and New South Wales. And that's kind of, you know, locked under farmland that the operators argue is needed to produce food for Australia or the region. So, where do you see that gas coming from?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, there's a number of gas proposals under development, whether it's Beetaloo, Narrabri, Surat, Bowen Basin, a whole bunch. Not all will be needed, as I said in there, some will be needed and the market will determine what's the most viable projects in the earliest possible timeframe.

JOURNALIST: One more, if I can. Battery manufacturing. You mentioned today the government's talked about it, Ed Husic talks about it a lot, but we're also committed to being a green energy superpower, I think officially, under the Federal Government proposal. And the sort of most prominent advocates of the green energy superpower, Rod Sims and Ross Garnaut, have kind of cautioned that we don't want to necessarily, if we get too obsessed with making every part of the supply chain in Australia, we might lose the bigger picture on the green energy superpower.

CHRIS BOWEN: So, no one has suggested we would make every part of the supply chain. But, I mean, I draw your attention and others attention to the speech the Treasurer made last year. We're we outline the principles underpinning our Future Made in Australia and green energy superpower. Our comparative advantage on the ability to build on national security and sovereignty, supporting the road to net zero and support for our regions. So, there's been criteria outlined that will be reflected in the policies we announce in a couple of weeks in the budget. We believe we have huge opportunities as a renewable energy superpower. Does that mean we make absolutely everything at all points along the supply chain? Of course not. No one has suggested that. I think it's been a bit of a strong man argument. And we'll continue with development announcement of those plans. All right, thank you.