Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

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Develop mitigation strategy As a starting point, best practice to reduce the effects of EMI, involves designing the wind turbines to their minimise Radar Cross Section (RCS). This reduces the extent to which the turbines will reflect or scatter radio energy. This can be achieved by: • careful choice of tower and nacelle shape and available construction materials • the use of absorbing (or non-reflective) materials from those available for blade construction • consideration of the spacing of wind turbines in relation to any affected services As mentioned above, RCS is relevant to all radiocommunications services, not just radar services. In addition, there is a hierarchy of mitigation options that can be explored with the individual affected parties, to eliminate any specifically identified EMI effects. They are: • Re-location / removal of individual turbines • Replacement of the existing radiocommunications service equipment with another less affected type (e.g. UHF link → Microwave link; Analogue TV → Digital TV) • Re-location of radiocommunications services to another existing radiocommunications site • Re-location of radiocommunications services to a new telecommunications site. (Such a site may need to be established to provide telecommunications services to the wind farm itself, and provide a dual purpose solution) • The use of underground or overhead optical fibre as a telecommunications medium in lieu of a radiocommunications service, thereby avoiding the wind farm interference effects • Enhanced radar filters (able to remove the returns from wind turbines, careful spacing of turbines in relation to the radar service can also assist with this solution) The mitigation options selected may be different for each individual service affected, depending on the type of service and the level of interference expected. For example, there may be several point to point radio links that are affected. It may be agreed to relocate one turbine for one of the links, and move the other to another site which is then linked by optical fibre. Where the effects cannot be easily quantified, and are intended to be dealt with after construction, the mitigation process could be: • Baseline testing prior to construction • Post-construction monitoring • Validation of any issue and mitigation For example, where the proposed wind farm development is within close proximity to houses, say within 10km, it is recommended that baseline testing of television signals is carried out prior to construction, for picture quality and signal level. This may also apply to other broadcast and point to multipoint services such as mobile phone, commercial radio etc. Should post-construction monitoring identify an issue, the following mitigation options are available after commissioning: • For general broadcast services, including analogue or digital television: Review and improve the receive antenna orientation and state of repair Installation of a more directional and/or higher gain antenna Relocation of the antenna to a less affected position Page 178 Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010
Installation of an appropriate amplifier • For analogue television: Installation of a digital set-top box (and new antenna if required) Installation of a digital TV transmitter for an affected area • For analogue or digital television: Installation of a digital TV translator for an affected area Provision of satellite TV services Finalise mitigation strategy Through consultation with the affected parties in relation to the available mitigation options, a mitigation strategy should be developed and documented. In preparing this document a risk assessment of the mitigation strategy should be conducted to determine whether there may be any unintended consequential effects, such as: • Introducing any new EMI issues to existing telecommunications services. • The cumulative effects of additional turbines, or additional wind farms. • Cumulative effects of any mitigation methods. • Any interaction with regard to other existing or proposed wind farms, or telecommunications facilities, in the area. For example, relocation of a radio path may impact on other telecommunications services or other wind farms that have been approved for construction in the area. Once the preferred options have been determined through consultation, it is recommended that the mitigation strategy be documented, and agreed with the affected parties. This document could then be included in the Planning Application. F.4.3 Construction Mitigation strategy implementation If there has been a significant period of time between preparation of the mitigation strategy and the commencement of construction, then it is recommended that a brief review of the data collected is undertaken to determine whether any new services have been introduced. Any changes required as a result of the review should be made, and the mitigation strategy implemented prior to construction. Baseline testing If baseline testing and post-construction monitoring have been recommended by the mitigation strategy, it is first necessary to establish what the standard of the telecommunications signal levels is, prior to construction. This is done as part of the baseline testing by performing a baseline radio frequency (RF) survey. Once the wind farm has been constructed it will then be necessary to perform the tests again during post-construction monitoring, so that a comparison can be made between results recorded before and after construction of the wind farm. If it is found that local radio communications services have been adversely impacted by the presence of the wind farm, then mitigating measures can be devised and implemented. There are two methods by which a baseline RF survey can be performed — that is, a sample baseline RF survey which involves the collection of qualitative and quantitative data at discreet locations throughout the area under consideration, or a continuous Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 179
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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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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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Page 140 and 141: construction phase are identified d
Page 142 and 143: Searches for dead birds and bats ar
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Page 148 and 149: that it was first observed. Where m
Page 150 and 151: e the case that assessment for bats
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Page 157 and 158: E Shadow Flicker E.1 Introduction T
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Page 173: as the actual limit, rather than th
Page 176 and 177: likely to be obstructed. Radiocommu
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Page 182 and 183: F.4 Task methodologies F.4.1 Projec
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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
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Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

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