Consultation on the Illawarra’s proposed offshore renewables zone had a stormy start, with fake news online and combative real-life forums.

There has also been widespread confusion after the government’s consultation period started on August 15 – two months after offshore wind developer BlueFloat Energy held a consultation session of its own on June 15 at Thirroul Surf Club.

Thanks to Federal Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes for answering questions during a phone interview from Canberra on October 19.

Is this a real consultation?

This is absolutely a real consultation. So there are currently no developers.

All we are talking about is a footprint for where we could put an offshore wind farm.

So in the future there will be feasibility, licensing, those sorts of things. There’s another three opportunities for our community to have their say. I know local companies have been out there doing community consultations, but there has certainly not been any decisions made – or even any applications put in – at this stage for any developments.

How would you describe the mood of the consultation process so far?

I think there’s been a lot of misinformation put out into the community, which has caused a lot of angst … but what I am seeing at the moment is as people are starting to check their sources, check their facts, and actually do some fact-based research, they’re becoming, I think, a lot more open than their first reaction based on some of the misinformation that was put out in the community.

Could a rise in misinformation derail or slow the transition to renewables?

There is a bit of a concerted effort out there to slow Australia’s transition to renewable energy through the distribution of misinformation. And I think people need to be really, really careful about that.

Which trusted sources do you recommend?

Government agencies, and certainly people that I have a lot of respect for – the University of Wollongong, Tim Flannery, Saul Griffith, people that have a lot of knowledge in this industry already, and also in the renewable energy sector.

Make sure your sources are from trusted sources and not some of this sensationalist stuff that we’re seeing on Facebook. A lot of that’s coming from overseas, from the US.

What do you think of Electrify 2515’s response?

I really like Saul Griffith’s approach with the community benefit dividend. Looking at the different things that we can do, whether it’s a community infrastructure fund, an economic development fund, a fund for schools, or discounts on electricity – what we can do, what our community can get out of a big proposal like this, besides clean energy and also a lot of jobs.

Once consultation closes on November 15th, what will happen next?

The minister [Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy] will consider all of the submissions that have gone in and he’ll come up with whether he endorses the current footprint or changes it – he’s changed, I think, all of the ones previously.

Is there a timeframe for that?

No, it will depend on the volume of submissions and the information that he's got to consider.

As we head towards the end of this consult, will there be any more face-to-face forums?

I won’t be holding any more personally myself, but certainly people are welcome to email me, ask their questions. I’m happy to ring people. I’m happy to have these hard conversations. It’s something I think we need to do as a community.

To contact Alison Byrnes, call her Wollongong office on 4228 5899 or email alison.byrnes.mp@aph.gov.au.

Have your say on the proposed 1461sq/km Illawarra offshore renewables zone by November 15 at consult.dcceew.gov.au/oei-illawarra

Find all the consultation documents – including an Overview of the Offshore Renewable Energy Process – at the Australian Government’s web page: Offshore renewable energy infrastructure area proposal: Pacific Ocean off Illawarra region, NSW.