Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

Planning to reduce predicted impacts is considerably more cost effective at this point in
development of a project than implementation of ‘active’ management interventions
aimed at reduction of impacts after a wind farm is in operation. The latter may prove to be
necessary during the operational life of a wind farm but their efficacy will always be
uncertain until tested for a given location and species. Achievement of an acceptable
level of impact on the population of any bird or bat population should be integral to the
planning of a wind farm, and must not be dependent on instigation of ‘active’ reduction
or mitigation measures once the facility is operating. ‘Active’ management measures
should remain only as options available to be tested in the event that they are
demonstrably necessary during the life of the wind farm.
Evaluation of predicted residual impacts on populations of key species
Principal question:
Purpose:
Methods:
Will any residual risk have an important impact on population function of key
taxa
To determine if the potential risk of loss identified in the previous phases, after
mitigation effects are considered, is significant to the population in question.
For this stage, the studies will include:
• Assessment of acceptability of predicted mortalities
This phase will ascertain the ecological importance or otherwise of any impacts on the
populations of key taxa that might result from the proposed wind farm following mitigation
or reduction of potential impacts as identified in Assessment of any reduction or mitigation
of impacts that can be achieved (page 128). Wherever feasible and applicable, this part
of the assessment should account for any contribution these impacts might make to a
cumulative impact from other wind farms (see Section D.5).
At completion of this task a final assessment can be made of whether the number of
mortalities expected to occur over the life of the facility are ecologically and socially
acceptable. If so, the bird and bat impact assessment process will generally be complete
at this point. If there is a residual risk of some mortality of any key species, a plan for
management of relevant bird and bat issues at the operational wind farm will usually be
required as a condition of approval. It is important that conditions to be met by the
operational wind farm are based on levels of ecologically acceptable impact for the
population of a key species over the projected life of the wind farm, as identified in this
final phase of assessment.
If the number of mortalities expected to occur over the life of the facility are not
ecologically and socially acceptable, the proponent may choose to withdraw the
proposal from the statutory assessment process. If the proponent chooses to proceed with
the statutory assessment process, this information will be considered by the relevant
authorities when they make their decision on the approval, or otherwise, of the proposed
wind farm. .
D.4.4 Construction
At the commencement of construction, plans for management of relevant bird and bat
issues and associated documentation should be reviewed to ensure necessary actions are
identified.
The physical construction of a wind farm does not usually entail particular impacts on birds
and bats other than those of habitat loss or modification which should be included in
assessment outlined in Assessment of any reduction or mitigation of impacts that can be
achieved (page 128). In a case where unusual or specific potential impacts of the
Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 129