{"id":"F2023L01005","name":"Offshore Electricity Infrastructure (Declared Area OEI-01-2023) Declaration 2023","slug":"offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442013,"registerId":"F2023L01005-fast-fetch-1775957146320","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Offshore Electricity Infrastructure (Declared Area OEI-01-2023) Declaration 2023","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nOffshore Electricity Infrastructure (Declared Area OEI‑01‑2023) Declaration 2023\n\nI, Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, make the following instrument.\n\nDated  11 July 2023  \n\nChris Bowen\n\nMinister for Climate Change and Energy\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Declared area\n\n6  Conditions\n\nSchedule 1—Declared Area OEI-01-2023\n\nSchedule 2—Simplified map of declared area\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure (Declared Area OEI-01-2023) Declaration 2023.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 17 of the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021.\n\n4  Definitions\n\nNote 1: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in section 8 of the Act, including the following:\n\n(a) commercial licence;\n\n(b) Defence Minister;\n\n(c) feasibility licence;\n\n(d) licence area;\n\n(e) management plan;\n\n(f) offshore renewable energy infrastructure;\n\n(g) research and demonstration licence.\n\nNote 2: For the purposes of the Act, the position on the surface of the Earth of a point, a line or an area is to be determined by reference to the Geocentric Datum of Australia as defined in Gazette No. 35 of 6 September 1995 (GDA94 geocentric data set). See section 49 of the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Regulations 2022.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021.\n\nAustralian Maritime Safety Authority means the Authority within the meaning of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990.\n\nBureau of Meteorology means the Bureau within the meaning of the Meteorology Act 1955.\n\nCivil Aviation Safety Authority means CASA within the meaning of the Civil Aviation Act 1988.\n\nDeclared Area OEI-01-2023 means the area specified in Schedule 1.\n\nDepartment of Defence means the Department administered by the Defence Minister.\n\n5  Declared area\n\n (1) Declared Area OEI-01-2023 (the declared area) is declared for the purposes of the Act.\n\nSimplified map of declared area\n\n (2) Schedule 2 sets out a simplified map that shows the location of the declared area.\n\n6  Conditions\n\nNote: Licences will also be subject to other conditions: see sections 35, 45 and 54 of the Act.\n\n  A licence in relation to which the matters set out in column 1 of the following table are satisfied must be subject to the corresponding condition set out in column 2.\n\n \n\n- Conditions\n- Item Column 1Matters Column 2Conditions\n- 1 (a) the licence is a:(i) feasibility licence; (ii) commercial licence; or(iii) research and demonstration licence; and(b) the licence is granted in respect of the declared area or any part of the declared area. The licence holder must ensure that any offshore renewable energy infrastructure does not exceed 260 metres above mean sea level.\n- 2 (a) the licence is a:(i) feasibility licence; or(ii) research and demonstration licence; and(b) the licence is granted in respect of the declared area or any part of the declared area. The licence holder must:(a) in preparing a management plan for the licence, consult:(i) the Department of Defence;(ii) the Bureau of Meteorology;(iii) the Australian Maritime Safety Authority; (iv) the Civil Aviation Safety Authority; and(v) the holder of an existing petroleum or greenhouse gas title issued under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 whose title area overlaps with the licence area, or a representative nominated by the holder for the purposes of the consultation; and(b) in the management plan for the licence, address the outcomes of this consultation.\n- 3 (a) the licence is a feasibility licence;(b) the licence is granted in respect of the declared area or any part of the declared area; and(c) rights under one or more:(i) fishing concessions granted under the Fisheries Management Act 1991; or(ii) licences issued under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (NSW); can be exercised in relation to any part, or parts, of the licence area. The licence holder must:(a) in preparing a management plan for the licence, consult:(i) in the case of a concession or licence holder that has nominated a representative organisation for the purposes of the consultation—the representative organisation; and(ii) in any other case—the concession or licence holder; where the concession or licence confers rights that can be exercised in relation to any part, or parts, of the licence area; and(b) in the management plan for the licence, address the outcomes of this consultation, including how impacts on these holders may be avoided, mitigated, or offset.\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nSchedule 1—Declared Area OEI-01-2023\n\nDefinition of “Declared Area OEI-01-2023” in section 4\n\n \n\nDeclared Area OEI-01-2023 consists of the line commencing at point OEI-P1-1 in the following table and running along the geodesics sequentially connecting the points as described in the table and then along the geodesic to the point of commencement:\n\n \n\n- Offshore Renewable Energy Area 1\n- Item Latitude Longitude\n- OEI-P1-1 32° 43' 01.87\" S 152° 41' 27.91\" E\n- OEI-P1-2 32° 56' 15.63\" S 152° 18' 07.64\" E\n- OEI-P1-3 32° 56' 38.73\" S 152° 17' 58.10\" E\n- OEI-P1-4 32° 56' 59.91\" S 152° 17' 48.75\" E\n- OEI-P1-5 32° 57' 21.12\" S 152° 17' 38.21\" E\n- OEI-P1-6 32° 57' 41.93\" S 152° 17' 27.33\" E\n- OEI-P1-7 32° 58' 04.50\" S 152° 17' 15.74\" E\n- OEI-P1-8 32° 58' 24.01\" S 152° 17' 05.22\" E\n- OEI-P1-9 32° 58' 46.09\" S 152° 16' 52.04\" E\n- OEI-P1-10 32° 59' 08.59\" S 152° 16' 38.93\" E\n- OEI-P1-11 32° 59' 35.42\" S 152° 16' 21.79\" E\n- OEI-P1-12 33° 00' 00.70\" S 152° 16' 05.64\" E\n- OEI-P1-13 33° 00' 32.67\" S 152° 15' 42.86\" E\n- OEI-P1-14 33° 00' 57.84\" S 152° 15' 24.52\" E\n- OEI-P1-15 33° 01' 26.07\" S 152° 15' 02.67\" E\n- OEI-P1-16 33° 01' 48.80\" S 152° 14' 44.70\" E\n- OEI-P1-17 33° 02' 11.23\" S 152° 14' 25.19\" E\n- OEI-P1-18 33° 02' 36.08\" S 152° 14' 03.87\" E\n- OEI-P1-19 33° 03' 03.69\" S 152° 13' 39.38\" E\n- OEI-P1-20 33° 03' 28.92\" S 152° 13' 14.72\" E\n- OEI-P1-21 33° 03' 48.64\" S 152° 12' 55.74\" E\n- OEI-P1-22 33° 04' 09.56\" S 152° 12' 34.76\" E\n- OEI-P1-23 33° 04' 30.81\" S 152° 12' 11.82\" E\n- OEI-P1-24 33° 04' 54.43\" S 152° 11' 46.06\" E\n- OEI-P1-25 33° 05' 14.44\" S 152° 11' 22.56\" E\n- OEI-P1-26 33° 05' 36.03\" S 152° 10' 56.70\" E\n- OEI-P1-27 33° 05' 50.65\" S 152° 10' 38.59\" E\n- OEI-P1-28 33° 06' 10.44\" S 152° 10' 13.29\" E\n- OEI-P1-29 33° 06' 30.64\" S 152° 09' 46.57\" E\n- OEI-P1-30 33° 06' 45.67\" S 152° 09' 26.33\" E\n- OEI-P1-31 33° 07' 06.06\" S 152° 08' 57.84\" E\n- OEI-P1-32 33° 07' 25.94\" S 152° 08' 28.84\" E\n- OEI-P1-33 33° 07' 45.31\" S 152° 07' 59.35\" E\n- OEI-P1-34 33° 07' 55.67\" S 152° 07' 42.86\" E\n- OEI-P1-35 33° 16' 53.95\" S 152° 14' 24.86\" E\n- OEI-P1-36 33° 16' 53.96\" S 152° 19' 07.32\" E\n- OEI-P1-37 33° 01' 39.68\" S 152° 39' 19.34\" E\n- OEI-P1-38 32° 50' 28.28\" S 152° 48' 18.93\" E\n- OEI-P1-39 32° 42' 04.42\" S 152° 51' 52.14\" E\n- OEI-P1-40 32° 42' 04.42\" S 152° 45' 59.40\" E\n- OEI-P1-41 32° 47' 01.73\" S 152° 41' 26.32\" E\n- OEI-P1-42 32° 45' 33.79\" S 152° 39' 08.31\" E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\nSchedule 2—Simplified map of declared area\n\n \n\nSubsection 5(2)\n\n \n\n![Map showing the declared area as defined by the coordinates in Schedule 1 - Declared Area OEI-01-2023](image.002.jpeg)\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument remains tightly scoped to its original purpose: declaring a specific offshore area for renewable energy development under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021. It does not expand beyond the statutory framework established by the parent Act."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose instrument (8 sections plus schedules)","Minimal defined terms (only 6 explicit definitions in section 4, plus references to Act definitions)","Straightforward conditional logic in section 6 (simple table-based conditions)","Heavy reliance on external legislation (Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021, Fisheries Management Acts, Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006) but does not create complex cross-referencing schemes itself","Technical content limited to coordinate tables in Schedule 1 (41 coordinate points defining the polygon)","No nested exceptions or recursive definitions","Clear structure: Name, Commencement, Authority, Definitions, Declared area, Conditions, Schedules"],"plain_english_summary":"This declaration opens a defined area of federal waters off the NSW coast (roughly between Newcastle and Sydney) for offshore renewable energy projects—chiefly wind—by allowing feasibility, commercial and research licences.\n\nIt affects developers, commercial fishers, defence, aviation, maritime safety, meteorology and oil/gas holders, and imposes conditions (e.g., a 260 m turbine height cap, mandatory consultation and fisheries protections). It creates the legal gateway for Australia’s first offshore wind zone while seeking to balance clean-energy development with existing ocean uses."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This declaration exercises the statutory power to designate an OEI declared area and to attach licence conditions under section 17 of the Act (section 3 and section 5). It does not amend the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 or broaden ministerial powers beyond those exercised; it simply specifies location, map and conditions that apply to licences in that area (section 6)."},"complexity_factors":["Precise geodetic boundary defined by multiple latitude/longitude points (Schedule 1) — requires GIS interpretation.","Different licence types trigger different conditions (feasibility, commercial, research and demonstration) (section 6).","Cross-agency consultation obligations (Defence, Bureau of Meteorology, AMSA, CASA, overlapping petroleum title holders) increase coordination complexity (section 6).","Prescriptive technical limit (260 m above mean sea level) creates a concrete engineering constraint (section 6).","Interaction with other statutes and existing petroleum or fisheries titles requires legal/contractual reconciliation (Definitions and section 6)."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument declares a specific offshore area by precise coordinates (Schedule 1) and a simplified map (Schedule 2) under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 (section 5). It attaches conditions to licences covering that area — notably a maximum structure height of 260 metres above mean sea level and consultation and management‑plan obligations for certain licence types (section 6). It affects prospective and existing licence holders who must meet design and consultation requirements and bear the compliance costs of those conditions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023","history":"/api/acts/offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023/history","analysis":"/api/acts/offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/offshore-electricity-infrastructure-declared-area-oei-01-2023-declaration-2023/documents"}}