It may look like a rusting old sea monster with an outsize megaphone for a head, but the contraption resting in the shallows of the Port Kembla coal loader could be part of the future for Australia's energy generation needs.And its inventor promises it will soon be gone, with a newer version most likely to be set up where the waves are bigger.The "Mark 1" wave power generator, installed in 2006 but decommissioned in 2009 by the company now known as Oceanlinx, has been bemusing visitors to the surf break known as Oilies.But the unique and sorry sight has attracted the ire of some residents, who say it is a rusting eyesore.Oceanlinx chief technology officer Tom Denniss said the generator would be removed, but the company was waiting for the right conditions for a salvage operation."Sand has built up around it and that comes and goes," he said. "But I know that it's high on our priority list."He said the device had generated power for almost three years, sometimes reaching its maximum of 300kW but more often hovering near the 100kW mark."It was a successful demonstration; we got a lot of data from it," he said."It has been there a bit longer than intended after decommissioning."Steven Harb, a fisherman visiting from Campbelltown, said the structure should be removed."I think they should take it away," he said. "It doesn't look good in the water."Mr Keira resident John Ebrill said it was "an environmental hazard and constitutes littering on a grand scale".A more advanced version of the generator sank when it was caught in heavy seas and was dashed to pieces off the breakwater at the harbour's mouth last year. Mr Denniss said this had been salvaged.After the trial at Port Kembla, Oceanlinx is concentrating its wave power plants on sites where the waves are larger - the coast of Victoria and South Australia, and sites abroad including Mexico, Portugal and Hawaii.Mr Denniss said if he could win funding, the company could set up a commercial operation at Port Kembla - but the rougher the waves, the more power could be generated, and the lower the subsidies required."We're ready to go with fully commercial units," he said."As to where it could be, that depends on where the funding comes first."Port Kembla is a great location for demonstrating, but in terms of the primary generation of electricity, the wave climate isn't as stellar as those locations down in the Southern Ocean."