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The burgeoning offshore wind industry is awaiting a declaration from the federal government to start major work on the water. Key points: The renewable energy industry is waiting for the federal government to designate Gippsland as an offshore wind development zone There are five wind farm projects planning to build turbines off the coast of Gippsland CSIRO says the price for building an offshore wind farm has dropped significantly, making it a viable option There are five offshore wind farms planned off the coast of Gippsland, with the hope of leveraging the existing transmission infrastructure of the Latrobe Valley. Under a new law governing offshore wind farms passed by Parliament last year, operators are only allowed to carry out certain activities in zones designated for offshore wind development. The most developed project, Star of the South, plans to erect up to 200 turbines in the windswept waters of Gippsland. Acting chief executive Erin Coldham said making the declaration wou

When Australian sailor John Deer fell off his yacht in the Caribbean Sea, he thought he wouldn’t make it through the night alive. But when he saw his boat drift off into the distance, the 41-year-old realized he had a choice: wait for the waves to finally pull him down or try to swim the 17km to shore. ‘I kind of stepped on the water for a second and I thought, ‘Right, I’m going to die’,’ he told 60Minutes. ‘Then I thought ‘am I just going to float and wait for my lungs to fill with water?’ I might as well start swimming.” “So I started swimming.” Three years ago, Mr Deer left his home in Melbourne to embark on the journey of a lifetime – a solo sailing adventure around the world. He bought a used yacht, called the Julieta, in the Greek Islands and started his journey – sailing across the Mediterranean, visiting Albania, Italy, then exploring the islands around Spain. Despite having no previous sailing experience, he ‘threw himself into the deep end’ and quickly fell in love with his