This month, Gippsland was center stage at the Australian Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition in Melbourne, and we were there in force!

The half-day Gippsland Regional Development Forum highlighted the strengths of the region and the opportunities as Australia's first designated offshore wind zone. After setting the scene for how new industry can thrive in our beautiful region, LVA’s CEO Chris Buckingham was joined by Bodye Darvill to co-chair  a lively forum featuring panels and discussions with Gippsland champions Kellie O'Callaghan, Sara Rhodes-Ward, Kerryn Ellis, Leigh Kennedy, Laura Macpherson, Cameron Spence, Darren McCubbin, and Paul Johnson. Gippsland made the most of this opportunity to flex its one-region approach to the transition!

Landing front and center in the Exhibition Hall, the Gippsland stand was absolutely buzzing throughout the two-day event. A constant stream of people curious about the region called by including developers, industry experts, supply chain businesses wanting to set up in Gippsland, marine skills and safety organisations, and people connected to ports and infrastructure planning for the future. The Gippsland representatives on the stand worked as a team to ensure the region had its best face forward.

It was also a pleasure meeting up with Gippsland locals who dropped in for a chat. One local who grew up in the Latrobe Valley but now lives in Queensland said how amazing it is to see the positive changes 30 years on, as Gippsland embraces the transition to renewables.

Bodye hosted a panel on Supply Chain. Focusing on short and long-term opportunities, there was much discussion around how other industries could benefit alongside offshore wind, why local communities must be central to the process, and how establishing even a small part of the supply chain in the regions will have huge impact on local economies.

People at the conference were notably positive about the future of the region and loved the positive and collaborative approach between business, community and government. We heard again and again that when it comes to the renewable energy transition and the development of Offshore Wind, Gippsland is the most progressive region in Australia. Go Team Gippsland!

In Chris Buckingham’s own words, lifted straight from his keynote speech:

There is no doubt that Gippsland is at the leading edge of the transition to renewable energy in Australia. We are in the guts of the biggest change to our economy in more than 30 years and alongside that sits the opportunity to shift the dial on so many fronts. The alignment between three levels of government, education providers, the energy sector, and the community has never been closer.