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4.4.2 Other significant coastal-dependent land use and development Context The exposure to Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean means sections of the Victorian coast are well-suited to the renewable energy sources and a number of projects are well-established. Common renewable energy technologies include hydro, geothermal, wind, tidal, wave, and solar power.
The Victorian coast currently hosts a variety of marine-coast-inland infrastructure such as development associated with gas and oil extraction. Further coastal infrastructure is also anticipated. There is the proposed desalination plant at Wonthaggi and the likelihood of further desalination plants along the coast in the future, and perhaps further infrastructure associated with the emergence of carbon capture and storage, otherwise known as geosequestration. There is concern regarding the potential of land subsidence around the Gippsland region. The type of subsidence potentially affecting the Gippsland coast results from the extraction of large quantities of groundwater, oil and natural gas. However, the current incidence of subsidence is yet to be conclusively proven. Subsidence can cause greater flooding, particularly if compounded by the likely impacts of climate change and increased dampening of low-lying areas. Development in low areas needs to consider potential land subsidence. Proposals for new coastal-dependent industry or expansion of existing coastal industry should be subject to appropriate environmental and landscape assessments to determine whether the likely effects on the environment, including cumulative and long-term effects, are acceptable and have appropriate mitigation and management measures. While these projects offer significant economic and social benefits, a strategic approach to their siting and location is important to ensure minimal environmental impact, and to take into account climate change risks and the landscape and aesthetic values of the coast.
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10 December 2008 |  |