Western Australia’s offshore wind industry is set to accelerate, with new feasibility decisions paving the way for up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy generation from projects off the coast of Bunbury.
The Federal Government has announced a preliminary feasibility licence for Bunbury Offshore Wind Farm Pty Ltd in the northern section of the declared Bunbury offshore wind zone.
The proposed site sits over 30 kilometres from shore and, if approved for construction, could deliver renewable electricity to power roughly one million homes.
The development could support 900 construction jobs and 450 ongoing roles.
WA needs an estimated 50 GW of new generation capacity by 2042.
In the southern area of the Bunbury zone, two more proposals – one from Westward Wind Pty Ltd and another from Bunbury Offshore Wind – have been shortlisted.
The proponents must now resolve site overlap before either can advance to the next stage. It is expected that one project per proponent will move forward for final feasibility assessment.
Feasibility licences mark the first formal regulatory step in offshore wind development.
They permit detailed site investigations, environmental assessments, and stakeholder engagement but do not authorise construction. Commercial licences can only be issued following feasibility studies and public consultation.
The government will also establish a Bunbury Offshore Wind Industry Committee, bringing together developers, state and federal representatives, First Nations groups, local industry, and unions.
The committee’s role is to oversee local benefit delivery across workforce, supply chain, and regional development outcomes.
Nationally, the Albanese Government is also tightening the regulatory framework to support emerging offshore wind developers.
Proposed reforms include streamlined pathways for proving financial security, better mechanisms for data sharing, and new requirements for public consultation on management plans.
Meanwhile, the energy minister Chris Bowen has declined to offer a feasibility licence to Seadragon in Victoria’s Gippsland zone and granted more time to Novocastrian Wind in the Hunter region to finalise commercial arrangements.