Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

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e the case that assessment for bats, including usage of a site and the potential for impacts on key bat species, will be qualitative. Use of radar combined with acoustic and/or visual methods has potential to improve capacity to obtain quantified bat activity data (see Determining bird and bat utilisation rates, page 137). Survey design considerations Survey must coincide with peak activity season(s) for bat taxa local to the site. The relevant authorities can advise on appropriate periods for bat survey. Surveys to detect the presence of bat species should be undertaken on nights with optimal weather conditions, which includes; light winds, relatively mild temperatures and no rain. A key criterion for a potential wind farm site is its wind yield, so windy conditions may be unavoidable. However, survey during very strong wind conditions should be avoided as bat activity drops off markedly in such conditions. Any form of survey intended to obtain representative utilisation rates for bats should attempt to survey the site during a sample of all weather conditions. Acoustic monitoring of bat activity Bat detectors are standard equipment for use in bat surveys. They record the high frequency calls produced by the bats when they are in flight and store recorded calls directly to a memory card. Most species produce characteristic calls and detector records can thus be used to identify species present in the area surveyed. This method of sampling allows for analysis of the number of flight passes by bats within the detection range of the detector microphone, but cannot be used to determine numbers of bats making the calls and the method is thus not indicative of bat abundance. Due to limits on the distance over which bat calls can be detected by the equipment and differences in preferred flight height ranges between bat species, sampling of various heights should be undertaken wherever feasible to maximise capacity to detect all species present. Whilst most detectors are usually deployed close to ground level, at least one other should be set-up to record calls closer to rotor-swept height. In practice this has been achieved by placement of a detector microphone high on a wind monitoring tower, where available, or on a portable tower. Since a variety of calls are emitted by any one species and there is geographic variation in calls within species, all call identifications must be undertaken by experts experienced in bat call analysis, and with a thorough understanding of the range of bat calls produced. Calls must be analysed by comparison with a reference library of calls for each species from the relevant region. Other technologies for documenting bat activity Use of radar is outlined above. Thermal imaging and some light-enhancing (night vision) equipment have been used to monitoring bat movements. Any such system must have adequate focal distance capacity in order to detect small bats at distances of up to 130 metres above the ground. Due to the relatively narrow field of view they offer they have limited applicability to detection of bats in the broad landscape. Thermal imaging, in particular, appears well suited to monitoring bat behaviours in the presence of turbines. Collision Risk Modelling In the absence of numerical bat utilisation rates, collision risk modelling based on empirical data is not currently feasible for key bat species. Modelling can be undertaken using informed scenarios but as at 2010 there is little basis for making informed assumptions about rates of wind farm mortality for key bat species. Population Viability Analysis Without sound capacity to predict mean annual mortality numbers and very little background information about the demography of key bat species, which are essential Page 140 Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010
pre-requisites for Population Viability Analysis, this form of modelling of potential impacts of turbines on key bat populations is also not presently applicable. D.8 Selected bibliography Akçakaya. H. R., 2004. Using models for species conservation and management – an introduction in H.R. Akçakaya, M.A. Burgman, O. Kindvall, C.C. Wood, P. Sjögren-Gulve, J.S. Hatfield & M.A. McCarthy (eds) Species Management and Conservation – case studies. Oxford University Press, New York. Arnett, E. B., Erickson, W. P., Horn, J. and J. Kerns. 2005. Relationships between bats and wind turbines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia: an assessment of bat fatality search protocols, patterns of fatality, and behavioural interactions with wind turbines. Final report submitted to the Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative. Bat Conservation International. Austin, Texas. Arnett, E.B., Schirmacher, M., Huso, M.M.P. & Hayes, J.P. 2008. Effectiveness of changing wind turbine cut-in speed to reduce bat fatalities at wind facilities. Annual Report prepared for Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Avian Subcommittee and National Wind Co-ordinating Committee 1999. Studying Wind Energy/Bird Interactions: A Guidance Document Metrics And Methods For Determining Or Monitoring Potential Impacts On Birds At Existing And Proposed Wind Energy Sites. Australian Wind Energy Association 2005, Wind farms and birds: interim standards for risk assessment, Brett Lane and Associates Pty Ltd Report, no. 2003.35(2.2). Baerwald, E.F., D’Amours, G.H., Klug, B.J. & Barclay, R.M.R. 2008. Barotrauma is a significant cause of bat fatalities at wind turbines. Current Biology, vol. 18, no. 16. Barclay, R. M. R., E. F. Baerwald, and J. C. Gruver. 2007. Variation in bat and bird fatalities at wind energy facilities: assessing the effects of rotor size and tower height. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 85: 381-387. Bat Conservation Trust n.d., Wind turbines: do wind turbines affect bats, United Kingdom, viewed 3 June 2009, < http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/wind_turbines.html >. Bibby, C. J., Burgess, N. D., Hill, D. A. & Mustoe, S. 2000. Bird Census Techniques (second edition) Academic Press, London Birdlife International 2003. Windfarms and birds: an analysis of the effects of windfarms on birds and guidance on environmental assessment criteria and site selection issues. in Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats, Strasbourg 11 September 2003, Directorate of Culture and of Cultural and Natural Heritage. Birds Australia 2007. Windfarms and birds policy statement. Australia, viewed 3 June 2009, . Bright, J.A., Langston, R.H.W., Bullman, R., Evans, R.J., Gardner, S., Pearce-Higgins, J. & Wilson, E. 2006. Bird sensitivity map to provide locational guidance for onshore wind farms in Scotland. Royal Society for Protection of Birds, RSPB Report no. 20. Canadian Wildlife Service 2005. Wind Turbines and Birds: A Guidance Document for Environmental Assessment (Interim draft) Environment Canada. Canadian Wildlife Service 2006. Recommended protocols for monitoring impacts of wind turbines on birds. Environment Canada. Chylarecki, OTOP & Museum and Institute of Zoology 2008. Guidelines for assessment of wind farms’ impact on birds. Polish Academy of Sciences, Szczecin. Department of Climate Change NSW 2007. Threatened species assessment guidelines: the assessment of significance. New South Wales. Department of Labor and Economic Growth 2007, Michigan siting guidelines for wind energy systems, Lansing, State of Michigan. Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 141
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EPHC National Wind Farm Development
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Acknowledgements These Guidelines h
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A.6.1 Site selection 28 A.6.2 Proje
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E.7 Technical discussion of key con
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The 20/20 target is challenging; ho
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Table 1-1 Elements of a ‘wind far
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2 Principles for responsible wind f
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3 Wind Farm Specific Issues The spe
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Specific noise limits are not provi
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3.5 Shadow flicker The issue Shadow
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Guidance notes Heritage issues are
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Table 4-1 Typical decision process
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The studies and community consultat
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A Community and Stakeholder Consult
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• Responsive There is a comm
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Figure A-1 IAP2 Public Participatio
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Specific components which should be
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Figure A-2 Example of Good Practice
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Recording the occurrence and outcom
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A.6.6 Decommissioning Planning & Co
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Potential Stakeholders Consultation
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B Noise B.1 Introduction This Appen
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the converse. These Guidelines reco
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The Standard should form the basis
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Stage and methodology Construction
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Other noise-sensitive uses such as
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Table B-2 Existing state and territ
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Establish background noise monitori
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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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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 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
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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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