Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

More documents

Recommendations

Info

E.7 Technical discussion of key concepts/issues 157 E.7.1 Other international standards 157 E.7.2 Explanation of modelling parameters 157 E.7.3 Basis for mitigation measures 161 F Electromagnetic Interference 165 F.1 Introduction 165 F.2 Background 165 F.2.1 Types of EMI considered 165 F.2.2 Services potentially affected 166 F.2.3 Issues not addressed in the Guidelines 168 F.2.4 Related documents and standards 169 F.3 Overview of the methodology 171 F.4 Task methodologies 172 F.4.1 Project feasibility 172 F.4.2 Planning application 177 F.4.3 Construction 179 F.4.4 Operations 180 F.4.5 Decommissioning 181 F.5 Cumulative impacts 181 F.6 Glossary & acronyms 181 G Wind Farm Development Process 183 G.1 Introduction 183 G.2 Detailed description of the development process 183 G.2.1 Site selection 183 G.2.2 Project feasibility 186 G.2.3 Planning application 188 G.2.4 Construction 192 G.2.5 Operation 194 G.2.6 Decommissioning 196 Page viii Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010
1 Introduction and common questions 1.1 Why do we need the National Wind Farm Development Guidelines (the Guidelines) Through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), all governments have agreed to support the growth of low emissions technologies, such as wind energy. Wind farms are recognised as an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable technology that can meet a significant proportion of our electricity consumption needs and provide greenhouse gas abatement. Australian Government modelling predicts that the expanded Renewable Energy Target (RET) will lead to strong demand for the construction of new electricity generation from renewable energy technologies such as wind farms over the next decade. Consequently, planning and environmental authorities will need to assess increasing numbers of applications for wind farm developments. Australians generally understand the need to reduce our carbon emissions, but also want to ensure that wind farms are developed and operated in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. In response to growing community concerns about wind farms the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) requested its Standing Committee in April 2008 to report on the impediments to responsible wind farm development. In November 2008, the EPHC released the report Impediments to Environmentally and Socially Responsible Wind Farm Development. The report recognised that one of the most significant impediments to responsible wind farm development is the lack of consistency between jurisdictions as to agreed frameworks and methods for assessing issues unique to wind farm developments. The report also recognised that the wind energy industry, communities, relevant authorities and other interested stakeholders would benefit from the adoption of a consistent set of government endorsed current best-practice guidelines. In July 2010 the EPHC resolved to release these draft Guidelines for a period of twelve months to allow jurisdictions to evaluate their effectiveness and provide the opportunity to assess how the Guidelines could best compliment existing planning and development processes, taking into consideration that these are best practice guidelines, and are not mandatory. Every jurisdiction has a different process for assessing wind farm proposals and it is not the intention of these Guidelines to change these. Each jurisdiction’s process has a stage at which the relevant authority weighs the impacts of the proposed wind farm against the opportunities it presents. These Guidelines aim to give greater transparency and consistency to this process by clearly outlining the key principles and issues for consideration by the relevant authority. It is vital that interested parties use the Guidelines in conjunction with the relevant state, territory and local government planning and environmental regulations and/or guidelines. 1.2 Why do we need wind farms Burning coal and other fossil fuels for electricity generation accounts for more than one third of Australia’s current greenhouse gas emissions. The expanded Renewable Energy Target (RET) requires that 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity is generated from renewable energy sources by 2020 and is one of a number of strategies to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions. The transition to a low carbon economy will require a significant transformation of the electricity sector. Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 1
Page 1: EPHC National Wind Farm Development
Page 5: Acknowledgements These Guidelines h
Page 8 and 9: A.6.1 Site selection 28 A.6.2 Proje
Page 12 and 13: The 20/20 target is challenging; ho
Page 14 and 15: Table 1-1 Elements of a ‘wind far
Page 16 and 17: 2 Principles for responsible wind f
Page 18 and 19: 3 Wind Farm Specific Issues The spe
Page 20 and 21: Specific noise limits are not provi
Page 22 and 23: 3.5 Shadow flicker The issue Shadow
Page 24 and 25: Guidance notes Heritage issues are
Page 26 and 27: Table 4-1 Typical decision process
Page 28 and 29: The studies and community consultat
Page 31 and 32: A Community and Stakeholder Consult
Page 33 and 34: • Responsive There is a comm
Page 35 and 36: Figure A-1 IAP2 Public Participatio
Page 37 and 38: Specific components which should be
Page 39 and 40: Figure A-2 Example of Good Practice
Page 41 and 42: Recording the occurrence and outcom
Page 43 and 44: A.6.6 Decommissioning Planning & Co
Page 45 and 46: Potential Stakeholders Consultation
Page 47 and 48: B Noise B.1 Introduction This Appen
Page 49 and 50: the converse. These Guidelines reco
Page 51 and 52: The Standard should form the basis
Page 53 and 54: Stage and methodology Construction
Page 55 and 56: Other noise-sensitive uses such as
Page 57 and 58: Table B-2 Existing state and territ
Page 59 and 60: Establish background noise monitori
Page 61 and 62:
As noted in Section 6.3.1 of AS4959
Page 63 and 64:
predicted levels are significantly
Page 65 and 66:
Prepare expert evidence (as require
Page 67 and 68:
Undertake unattended monitoring to
Page 69 and 70:
assessment of wind farm noise emiss
Page 71 and 72:
B.4.5 Decommissioning Noise-related
Page 73 and 74:
If a significant amount of time has
Page 75 and 76:
B.7 Technical discussion of key con
Page 77 and 78:
The HGC Engineering report 10 also
Page 79 and 80:
C Landscape C.1 Introduction This A
Page 81 and 82:
• Cumulative impacts “Cumulativ
Page 83 and 84:
C.2 Overview of Methodologies Figur
Page 85 and 86:
C.3 Task Methodologies C.3.1 Projec
Page 87 and 88:
• State Relevant State herita
Page 89 and 90:
The preliminary landscape character
Page 91 and 92:
• Identifying and describing (in
Page 93 and 94:
Advanced photomontages should also
Page 95 and 96:
C.4.2 Visual Impact Assessment The
Page 97 and 98:
C.4.2.4 Assessment of cumulative im
Page 99 and 100:
the implementation of agreed change
Page 101 and 102:
Figure C-2 IBRA mapping of Australi
Page 103 and 104:
Table C-4 Mapping of landscape char
Page 105 and 106:
C.7.2 Levels of significance What a
Page 107 and 108:
Consider ‘Supporting Evidence’
Page 109 and 110:
information available for other sit
Page 111 and 112:
Figure C-4 Example of viewshed mapp
Page 113 and 114:
Figure C-6 Example of photomontages
Page 115 and 116:
communicate broad-scale ideas and p
Page 117 and 118:
Table C-5 Mapping other wind farms
Page 119 and 120:
C.7.9 Glossary & acronyms Australia
Page 121:
Viewpoint The point from which a vi
Page 124 and 125:
D.1.2 Underlying approach The under
Page 126 and 127:
All of the above is generally appli
Page 128 and 129:
the operational wind farm is aimed
Page 130 and 131:
D.4 Task methodologies D.4.1 Site S
Page 132 and 133:
area as it was not collected accord
Page 134 and 135:
used throughout these Guidelines as
Page 136 and 137:
wind farms. Such data from existing
Page 138 and 139:
considered acceptable, undesirable,
Page 140 and 141:
construction phase are identified d
Page 142 and 143:
Searches for dead birds and bats ar
Page 144 and 145:
D.5 Cumulative impacts D.5.1 Defini
Page 146 and 147:
in the absence of any turbine colli
Page 148 and 149:
that it was first observed. Where m
Page 150 and 151:
e the case that assessment for bats
Page 152 and 153:
Department of Primary Industries, W
Page 154 and 155:
Percival, S.M. 2003, Birds and wind
Page 157 and 158:
E Shadow Flicker E.1 Introduction T
Page 159 and 160:
• The use of recreational facilit
Page 161 and 162:
• The method is inherently linked
Page 163 and 164:
Table E-1 Recommended exposure limi
Page 165 and 166:
E.4.4 Construction Assessment of th
Page 167 and 168:
E.7 Technical discussion of key con
Page 169 and 170:
Figure E-4 Variation in shading wit
Page 171 and 172:
common practice varies between one
Page 173:
as the actual limit, rather than th
Page 176 and 177:
likely to be obstructed. Radiocommu
Page 178 and 179:
Licensed radiocommunications servic
Page 180 and 181:
Figure F-1 EMI mitigation methodolo
Page 182 and 183:
F.4 Task methodologies F.4.1 Projec
Page 184 and 185:
Expected timeframe for evaluation r
Page 186 and 187:
The near field zone can be calculat
Page 188 and 189:
Develop mitigation strategy As a st
Page 190 and 191:
aseline RF survey which involves th
Page 193 and 194:
G Wind Farm Development Process G.1
Page 195 and 196:
Project Sub-stages Activities to be
Page 197 and 198:
Preliminary Technical Studies Issue
Page 199 and 200:
Planning application (PA2) The plan
Page 201 and 202:
Develop mitigation strategy Finalis
Page 203 and 204:
Environmental Management Plans Issu
Page 205 and 206:
Monitoring: confirmation (O3) Confi
Page 207 and 208:
Decommissioning (D2) Once a decisio
show all

Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?