澳门玄机图

New offshore wind partners being welcomed into RMEBS program

In November 2023, 澳门玄机图 announced the introduction of the Victorian Regional Marine Environmental Baseline Studies (RMEBS) program, in a move to create a pro-active, collaborative, industry-led approach to environmental baseline surveys, in support of regulatory approvals, across the emerging offshore wind industry in Victoria.听

Six months into the program, and following the award of feasibility licences for Australia鈥檚 first offshore wind farms in Gippsland, 澳门玄机图 is now transitioning into RMEBS-Victoria Phase Two. We are inviting expressions of interest from developers who would like to take part in the next stage of the program. This will involve detailed planning and preparation of marine baseline studies to inform project environmental assessments across Victoria, including the Southern Ocean Zone and potentially northern Tasmania.听

Covering key parts of Victoria鈥檚 offshore waters, where offshore wind farm development is being proposed (including cable route corridors), RMEBS sets out to create shared access to important regional-scale ecological data that will inform developers on ways to better understand and protect the environment.听

Key features of the program are to collect data at regional scales, which reflects the movements and behaviours of protected marine species and to reduce costs for individual developers by sharing resources, realising synergies, and eliminating the duplication of survey effort by developers.听

澳门玄机图鈥� Technical Director, Dr Christine Lamont says, after the resounding success of Phase One of the program, which involved initial planning and coordination with the six offshore wind developer participants, we鈥檙e expecting a new wave of applications from offshore wind developers keen to join Australia鈥檚 first industry-led program of its kind.听

鈥淧hase One has just been completed and the program has been really successful. We designed the delivery framework, and finalised early baseline study scoping with 澳门玄机图 experts and a range of subject matter experts across academia, consultancy, and government, while ensuring that the six offshore wind companies taking part in the program to-date have been empowered to make effective decisions. The RMEBS framework has supported efficient and fair collaboration among those companies.鈥澨�

鈥淚n Phase Two, we鈥檒l finalise the study scopes and delivery framework to suit all participants, with detailed design, contracting, and safety planning. We鈥檒l then get out there and execute the studies. So, the program is progressing really well 鈥� and we鈥檙e expecting to see new recruits now that licences have been awarded.鈥澨�

澳门玄机图 is keen to hear from offshore wind developers who would like to be part of the program.听

鈥淲e invite contact from developers who want to contribute to Australia鈥檚 first collaborative environmental program focussed on offshore wind. We welcome expressions of interest for the next phase of the program and will provide detailed briefings as requested.鈥� 听

Dr Lamont attributes the huge success of Phase One of the program to it being industry-led.听

鈥淲hat鈥檚 unique about this program is that it kicked-off with industry stakeholders defining what their needs are. Other collaborations have often been driven by academics or researchers, or government. However, 澳门玄机图 put the focus on industry needs from the get-go, and the results and pace of progress have been nothing short of impressive.鈥澨�

The RMEBS program has brought together Australia鈥檚 leading experts, to ensure studies are well designed to deliver relevant and high-quality data in the challenging offshore environment.听

澳门玄机图鈥� National Marine Sciences Lead, Jeremy Fitzpatrick says taking a collaborative approach with multi-disciplinary experts and specialist biologists, focused on knowledge gaps at regional scales, will deliver independent and rigorous scientific outcomes, allowing consistency in environmental assessments, and earning the respect of regulators and community stakeholders. 听

鈥湴拿判�机图 has played a crucial role in bringing together developers, academics, researchers, scientific experts, regulators and technical specialists to augment our experienced internal team of marine science experts.鈥澨�

鈥淭he RMEBS program considers how offshore wind infrastructure can exist, with the least environmental impact.鈥� 听 听

鈥淭his collaboration allows us to put an environmental impact assessment focus on the studies, through a regulatory risk lens. For instance, we鈥檒l be providing the data that underpins the design of the mitigation strategies for offshore windfarms, and in fact the design of the offshore windfarms in the first instance,鈥� he adds.听

According to Jeremy, the program has also received broad government support from all Commonwealth and state agencies engaged to date.听

鈥淲e engaged with government to identify any potential duplication and synergies with existing research programs, and we鈥檝e addressed some key research priorities outlined by government.鈥澨�

To express your interest to join the program get in touch with Christine or Jeremy.听

Find out more about the initiative, and how you can take a spot on the program: 谤尘别产蝉.蝉别肠谤别迟补谤颈补迟.谤辫蝉颈苍迟别谤苍补濒蔼谤辫蝉驳谤辞耻辫.肠辞尘.补耻听

About 澳门玄机图

Founded in 1970, 澳门玄机图, A Tetra Tech Company (澳门玄机图) is a leading global professional services firm of 5,000 consultants and service providers. Operating in 125 countries, working across six continents we define, design and manage projects that create shared value to a complex, urbanising and resource-scarce world.

澳门玄机图 delivers a broad range of services in six sectors: property, energy, transport, water, defence and government services and resources. Services provided across 澳门玄机图' six sectors cover twelve service clusters: project and program management, design and development, water services, environment, advisory and management consulting, exploration and development, planning and approvals, health, safety and risk, oceans and coastal, laboratories, training and communications, creative and digital services.

澳门玄机图 stands out for its clients by using its deep expertise to solve problems that matter, making them easy to understand. Making complex easy.

For further information, please visit听www.rpsgroup.com.