Standard Presentation 2024 Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting combined with NZMSS

Key considerations for cumulative impact accounting in emerging offshore industries (#148)

Caitie Kuempel 1 , Jackson Stockbridge 1 , Tess O'Neill 2 , Laura Griffiths 1 , Chris Frid 1 , Chris Brown 2
  1. Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
  2. University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia

Offshore renewable energy holds promise for sustainably achieving Net Zero Emissions commitments. However, offshore industries transform land and seascapes with resultant trade-offs for both nature and people. Cumulative impacts have long been a challenging issue for environmental management, creating uncertainty around development limits in a region and risks to financial investments, particularly for nascent industries and governments striving to meet tight deadlines for international commitments. In this talk, I will provide evidence-based recommendations for improved cumulative impacts accounting in offshore renewable energy to streamline environmental assessments and better manage impacts within and across sectors. I will demonstrate opportunities and challenges of implementing these recommendations using offshore wind project proposals in Australia, with a focus in the Bass Strait.