Star of the South, a proposed wind project off the Gippsland coast in Victoria, has moved into the next phase of development.
The project has formally lodged its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with the federal government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, a critical step in securing the environmental approval needed to progress construction. This submission, described by developers as one of the most comprehensive undertaken for an energy project in Australia, reflects years of detailed scientific study and consultation on ecological, cultural and economic impacts.
In a further boost, Star of the South has secured approximately 120 hectares of farmland in Gippsland as the onshore landing site for underground cables that will transmit electricity from the offshore turbines to the grid, locking in key infrastructure to support the scheme.
The Federal Government has also renewed the project’s Major Project Status, extending tailored support for regulatory navigation and coordination, and signalling continued strategic backing for one of the nation’s biggest renewable energy investments.
Together these milestones underline the project’s progress against a backdrop of broader challenges facing Australia’s nascent offshore wind sector, where other proposals have been shelved or withdrawn. Despite this, project leaders say Star of the South is progressing from concept toward reality, with plans to deliver up to 2.2GW of clean energy and power more than 1.2 million homes, supporting both emissions reduction and future energy security goals.
Pending receipt of all required approvals, construction could begin later this decade, aligning with Victoria’s energy transition and the planned closure of aging coal-fired power stations.