Australia’s offshore wind industry is expanding rapidly, but environmental approvals are often slowed by uncertainty in assessing collision risk to local seabirds and migratory species protected under the EPBC Act. Offshore environments present unique challenges: species movements are dynamic, surveys are difficult to conduct, and methods must account for both local and migratory populations. Australian offshore wind also faces data shortages, a mix of migrant and residential species, and higher biodiversity than many overseas jurisdictions.
We present our recent work on the Australian Collision Risk Framework (ACRF), developed by Symbolix with funding from the Australian Government under the Renewables Environmental Research Initiative. The ACRF provides a standardised, data-driven approach to assessing collision risk for birds and bats across onshore and offshore wind developments, drawing on international best practice and adapted to Australia’s unique mix of local and migratory species.
This presentation outlines the facets of the ACRF most relevant to Australian offshore wind, including survey design guidance, collision modelling pathways, and new tools for assessing risk across a range of seabird and migratory species. Drawing on lessons from the ACRF project and our experience advising on collision risk, it demonstrates how these approaches can be applied in practice to reduce uncertainty and improve consistency in offshore wind assessments.