Dear Prime Minister

Offshore Wind – COMMUNITY BENEFITS & ‘PiLoR ’LEGISLATION (Question to Prime Minister Albanese during Q&A episode Monday 24/02/2025)

Thank you for making the personal effort to call me after the Q&A show to follow up my question. In a time of somewhat cynical politics, it was both surprising and reassuring that the PM would take time out of an incredibly busy schedule to call personally!

Wellington Shire Council has strongly advocated for new energy investment, particularly offshore wind development in Bass Strait. We welcome the recent granting of feasibility licenses to offshore wind investors and are now engaging with each company to establish collaborative partnerships for the future.

Beyond these discussions, we are also working closely with key regional stakeholders, including neighbouring Councils, education providers such as TAFE and Federation University, and importantly, our First Nations leaders to position Gippsland as a leader in offshore wind and a blueprint for the rest of the nation.

However, a critical challenge now faces our region, putting our well-established social licence to the test. On Monday night’s Q&A, I asked you directly whether the federal government would assist in co-designing legislation for Community Benefits and a Payment in Lieu of Rates (PiLoR) mechanism. The aim is clear, to ensure that regional communities who bear the impact of this infrastructure are fairly compensated for their role in Australia’s clean energy future.

At the same time, Council is under increasing pressure to plan and deliver essential infrastructure to support this emerging industry. We are still waiting for an outcome on our Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (RPPP) application -submitted in partnership with South Gippsland Shire Council and support from the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC). Ensuring our region is ‘land and infrastructure ready’. This funding is crucial, yet the delay leaves us unable to properly prepare for the large-scale workforce and industry needs that offshore wind will bring. Without certainty around funding, communities like ours are left in limbo, expected to carry the load of supporting major national projects without the resources to do so. The need for housing, transport, and essential services in towns closest to Barry Beach and Port Anthony will only grow more urgent as development progresses. We need certainty.

We would also welcome the opportunity to discuss a fair and nationally consistent PiLoR framework that ensures offshore wind projects deliver tangible benefits to the regional communities that host them.

Additionally, we seek your immediate support in securing a decision on our RPPP application. Wellington Shire is at the forefront of this transition - now we need the federal government to back us with the resources to make it work.

Finally, I hope you accept my invitation to visit Wellington Shire and see firsthand the communities affected by this transition to renewable energy. We believe this is the best way to fully understand both the opportunities and the challenges we face, and we would welcome the chance to host you.

Yours Sincerely,

CR Cindy Madeley

Deputy Mayor, Wellington Shire Council

CR Scott Rossetti

Mayor, Wellington Shire Council

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ABC Q&A

Deputy Mayor Cindy Madeley speaking directly to Prime Minister Albanese on ABC Q&A Monday 24 February 2025.

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