'Now's the time': Call to not be complacent in bid to stop offshore wind

Mike Neoh said it was inconceivable the offshore turbines would be near Warrnambool rather than near the existing wind farm precinct at Portland.

The federal government this week announced a scaled back zone for offshore wind contained to 15 to 20 kilometres off Warrnambool and Port Fairy - cutting Portland and South Australia out of the picture.

The news came as a shock to many in Warrnambool who assumed it would more than likely be built near Portland with at least three companies with projects for that region in the pipeline.

One company had flagged interest in building off Warrnambool's coastline.

"The council needs to push back very, very hard because Port Fairy and Warrnambool have a unique tourism sector," Mr Neoh said.

"Now's the time. Once it's in place and you've got proposals it's going to be too late.

"If the community is complacent... people have got to stand up now."

Mr Neoh questioned why you would put offshore wind turbines in a pristine environment and decimate our tourism sector.

"It's like robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said.

"When you've got an energy guzzling organisation like Portland Aluminium and you've already got turbine tower producing in Portland, it's a lack of foresight of what it's going to look like to ruin our views, to ruin our tourism economy at the expense of a precinct like Portland who needs the energy."

Mr Neoh said he would rather see the 5000 to 6000 people visiting Warrnambool's beaches during summer than offshore wind turbines.

He said whales didn't just visit the Logans Beach whale nursery but travelled all along the coast

Mr Neoh also questioned the economic benefits for Warrnambool saying many of the jobs would be fly in, fly out.

Southern Ocean Marine Alliance cofounder Rhonda Browne, who successfully lobbied against offshore wind around Portland, said the group was willing to help Warrnambool and Port Fairy if they wanted to campaign against the turbines.

"We put in a petition to the federal government to get the Bonney Upwelling heritage listed. We talked to UNESCO and we've done a campaign with the Gunditjmara people," she said.

"That was the final straw I guess."

Ms Browne said there were other factors that played into the government's decision including the fact Portland's port was too small to handle the size infrastructure.

She said the group wasn't against wind farms and renewable energy, it was the "raping and pillaging" of a unique and rare coastline.

Ms Browne said the group spoke to whoever they could to rally against offshore wind.

She said Warrnambool and Port Fairy had been "apathetic" to the potential for offshore wind off this part of the coast with most people assuming it would be concentrated near Portland.

"We can help them if we need it. We're sorry they didn't jump on board," she said.