Wind farm zone off Warrnambool could 'displace endangered Southern Right Whales'

Mike Neoh, who is facilitating a public meeting to discuss the possible ramifications of the zone on Saturday, said that information was available in one of the federal government's own reports.

The Draft National Recovery Plan for the Southern Right Whale, which was published in 2022, states "offshore development could lead to physical displacement of Southern Right Whales, particularly by acting as barriers to migration into coastal breeding areas."

Mr Neoh said the meeting would discuss the location of the zone and was not a debate on renewable energy versus fossil fuels.

"It's purely about the location next to a whale nursery of significance, given the Southern Right Whales are endangered," he said.

Logans Beach is a declared habitat crucial for survival of Southern Right Whales, which is why Mr Neoh and other community members are shocked by the location of the zone.

The report also talks about the possible ramifications on marine life during construction.

"One of the big concerns in this recovery plan is underwater noise," Mr Neoh said.

This is because whales rely on sound for basic functions including communication, navigation, foraging and predator avoidance, he said.

He said the result for whales ranged from stress to hearing impairment, physical injury and mortality.

"I'm not quoting from Wikipedia here, I'm quoting from the department's own recovery plan." Mr Neoh said.

The sheer size of the turbines was also a concern, he said.

"They will be seven times the size of the Fletcher Jones silver ball," Mr Neoh said.

The size of the turbines also equates to six times the size of the 12 Apostles.

Co-founder of the Southern Ocean Marine Alliance Rhonda Browne - who helped to successfully lobby against offshore wind farms near Portland - will address the meeting.

Member for Wannon Dan Tehan, who has launched a petition against the location of the wind farm zone, will also be a guest speaker.

Representatives from the fishing industry and recreational fishing groups will also express their opinions on the zone.

The meeting will be held at the Warrnambool Civic Green on Saturday, March 23 from 10am to 11.30am.