Safety and protection zones
The Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 (OEI Act) framework provides for safety and protection zones to be established in and around offshore renewable energy projects.
The purpose of safety and protection zones is to protect the safety of workers and other marine users and to protect infrastructure from damage.
The Offshore Infrastructure Regulator (OIR) can determine, vary or revoke safety and protection zones in response to an application received or make determinations upon its own initiative.
A safety or protection zone can be determined at any time during a project lifecycle. The exact details and duration of these zones will be determined on a project-by-project basis by the OIR.
Consultation
OEI Act licence holders should communicate and discuss plans for safety or protection zones with existing marine users and relevant government agencies such as the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
This consultation should be used to inform the licence holder's planning for a safety or protection zone application including what measures should be implemented to reduce potential impacts on other marine users.
Safety zones are typically established during the construction of an offshore renewables project, when lighting and marking of infrastructure may not be operational, and there is a high than usual number of vessels in the field.
Safety zones can also be established during major maintenance and decommissioning activities to ensure the safety of workers and reduce the risk of vessel collision and/or damage to infrastructure.
Once the project is fully constructed and operating normally, permanent operational safety zones will only be approved if there is clear justification for them.
This is to ensure offshore infrastructure is appropriately protected without unreasonably restricting the movements of transiting vessels in accordance with international obligations and balancing coexistence with other marine users.
Protection zones may be determined to prohibit or restrict vessels from conducting certain types of activities such as anchoring, trawling, or mining that may present a risk safety or risk to damage OREI or OETI.
Protection zones can extend up to a maximum distance of 1,852 metres (equivalent to one nautical mile) around installed OREI or OETI.
Licence holders need to provide a justification for the proposed protection zone with consideration to coexistence with other marine users to the extent practicable.
Proposed protection zones are subject to a public consultation process. The OIR will publish a notice on its website and invite submissions from the public on the protection zone proposal.
Entry and presence in safety or protection zone
For consent to enter a safety or protection zone please email offshorerenewables@oir.gov.au.