Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

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The 20/20 target is challenging; however, it is achievable and energy sources such as wind will have a key role in moving Australia to the clean economy of the future. The variability of the wind does not prevent wind energy from being an effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For every megawatt hour (MWh) of wind energy consumed, one less MWh is needed from another source. As around 90 per cent of Australia’s electricity comes from fossil fuel-based generation, this means that the energy production that is displaced by wind farms is likely to be from coal- or gas-fired power stations. By displacing coal and gasfired generation, wind farms reduce greenhouse emissions. Wind turbine technology is well established and less expensive than most competing renewable energy technologies and forms a necessary part of our future energy mix with a growing role to play in managing the environmental impact of energy production and use. 1.3 What’s covered in the Guidelines The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide a nationally consistent set of best-practice methods for assessing the impacts that are unique or significant to wind farm developments and operations. A number of key topics have been identified and addressed in these Guidelines. Detailed methodologies for six of these topics have been developed and are contained in the Technical Appendices. These six topics are: • Community and stakeholder consultation • Wind turbine noise • Visual and landscape impacts • Birds & bats • Shadow flicker • Electromagnetic interference (EMI) Some topics do not have detailed methodologies because the solution is relatively simple or is covered well in other planning processes and documents. Guidance is provided in the body of the Guidelines on the following such issues: • Aircraft safety and lighting • Blade glint • Risk of fire • Heritage • Indigenous heritage 1.4 What’s NOT covered in the Guidelines Each state, territory and local government jurisdiction has a well-developed assessment framework for new developments (not just wind farms), including environmental assessment. These frameworks are generally supported by a range of policies, regulations, guidelines, zoning and other planning controls. Planning legislation also defines the relevant authority (who makes the decisions), the statutory consultation process (including nature and length of public exhibition periods), the review process and rights of appeal. While the generic nature of the processes and documentation is similar between jurisdictions, there are local differences. These Guidelines do not outline the planning processes for each jurisdiction. Additionally, these Guidelines do not address those areas of wind farm developments and operations that are common to most major developments (not just wind farms). Such issues include; • Vegetation clearance • Soil disturbance/erosion • Terrestrial fauna impacts other than birds and bats • Other ecological impacts • Traffic management • Construction and engineering standards. Page 2 Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010
Such issues will still need to be addressed in the planning application for a wind farm and subsequent applications for permits; however, they are not addressed in these Guidelines The social and economic impacts a wind farm development may have on communities or regions, such as job creation and local business opportunities, are also common to most major developments and are not addressed in these Guidelines. Wind turbines less than 500 kilowatts (kW) rated capacity and offshore wind farms are also not addressed due the different turbine technology involved and the diverse environments in which they occur. The relevant authority should be consulted about any specific requirements in relation to these types of developments. 1.5 Are direct health impacts covered These Guidelines recognise that there is anecdotal information that wind farms may cause some health effects. However, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has conducted peer reviewed research indicating that “There is currently no published scientific evidence to positively link wind turbines with adverse health effects”. Nor are there any known direct health impacts from shadow flicker or electromagnetic interference from correctly designed and sited wind farms. More information on the NHMRC research can be found on their website; http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/. These Guidelines do discuss issues such as amenity and annoyance which, if not properly addressed, could have health impacts. If evidence of direct health impacts does come to light, these Guidelines would be modified as required. 1.6 How do these Guidelines interact with existing guidelines The EPHC acknowledges that other sources of guidance on wind farm development already exist for proponents and other parties. These include the Auswind 1 Best Practice Guidelines for Implementation of Wind Energy Projects in Australia (updated 2006), its supporting documents and various State and Commonwealth guidelines. The key differences are that these Guidelines contain more detailed current best practice methodologies for addressing the six topics above and they are intended for a wider audience. 1.7 What constitutes a wind farm A ‘wind farm’ development comprises one or more large wind turbine generators. These Guidelines apply to turbines with a rated capacity of over 500 kilowatt and to developments consisting of one or more such turbines (including any existing turbines at the site). Typically, modern wind farms have multiple wind turbines with each turbine having a capacity greater than 1 megawatt (MW) and a height of up to 150 metres. The definition of wind farm includes the associated infrastructure and works, such as site access (including internal roads), foundations, buildings (construction and operational) and electrical works (see Table 1-1). The other activities that may occur off the site of the wind farm, or as a consequence of the wind farm development, such as the electrical network connection beyond the site substation, quarrying, vegetation clearance along roadsides and traffic management may require approval under relevant legislation or regulations. Whether or not these matters need to be included or considered as part of the relevant approval for the wind farm will depend on the particular legislative and relevant regimes of the different jurisdictions. 1 The Clean Energy Council now fills the role previously managed by the Australian Wind Energy Association (Auswind). Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 3
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 10 and 11: E.7 Technical discussion of key con
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
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predicted levels are significantly
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Prepare expert evidence (as require
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Undertake unattended monitoring to
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assessment of wind farm noise emiss
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B.4.5 Decommissioning Noise-related
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If a significant amount of time has
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B.7 Technical discussion of key con
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The HGC Engineering report 10 also
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C Landscape C.1 Introduction This A
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• Cumulative impacts “Cumulativ
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C.2 Overview of Methodologies Figur
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C.3 Task Methodologies C.3.1 Projec
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• State Relevant State herita
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The preliminary landscape character
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• Identifying and describing (in
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Advanced photomontages should also
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C.4.2 Visual Impact Assessment The
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C.4.2.4 Assessment of cumulative im
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the implementation of agreed change
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Figure C-2 IBRA mapping of Australi
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Table C-4 Mapping of landscape char
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C.7.2 Levels of significance What a
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Consider ‘Supporting Evidence’
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information available for other sit
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Figure C-4 Example of viewshed mapp
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Figure C-6 Example of photomontages
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communicate broad-scale ideas and p
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Table C-5 Mapping other wind farms
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C.7.9 Glossary & acronyms Australia
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Viewpoint The point from which a vi
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D.1.2 Underlying approach The under
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All of the above is generally appli
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the operational wind farm is aimed
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D.4 Task methodologies D.4.1 Site S
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area as it was not collected accord
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used throughout these Guidelines as
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wind farms. Such data from existing
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considered acceptable, undesirable,
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construction phase are identified d
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Searches for dead birds and bats ar
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D.5 Cumulative impacts D.5.1 Defini
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in the absence of any turbine colli
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that it was first observed. Where m
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e the case that assessment for bats
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Department of Primary Industries, W
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Percival, S.M. 2003, Birds and wind
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E Shadow Flicker E.1 Introduction T
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• The use of recreational facilit
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• The method is inherently linked
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Table E-1 Recommended exposure limi
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E.4.4 Construction Assessment of th
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E.7 Technical discussion of key con
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Figure E-4 Variation in shading wit
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common practice varies between one
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as the actual limit, rather than th
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likely to be obstructed. Radiocommu
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Licensed radiocommunications servic
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Figure F-1 EMI mitigation methodolo
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F.4 Task methodologies F.4.1 Projec
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Expected timeframe for evaluation r
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The near field zone can be calculat
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Develop mitigation strategy As a st
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aseline RF survey which involves th
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G Wind Farm Development Process G.1
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Project Sub-stages Activities to be
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Preliminary Technical Studies Issue
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Planning application (PA2) The plan
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Develop mitigation strategy Finalis
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Environmental Management Plans Issu
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Monitoring: confirmation (O3) Confi
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Decommissioning (D2) Once a decisio
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Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

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