Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

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3.5 Shadow flicker The issue Shadow flicker is produced by wind turbine blades blocking the sun for short periods of time (less than 1 second) as the blades rotate, causing a strobing effect. The likelihood of shadow flicker affecting people is dependant on the alignment of the wind turbine and the sun, and their distance from the wind turbine. The main risk associated with shadow flicker is the potential to disturb residents in the immediate vicinity. Investigations undertaken when developing these Guidelines determined that the potential risk for epileptic seizures and distraction of drivers is negligible to people living, visiting or driving near a wind farm. Guidance notes Shadow flicker can be modelled prior to the finalisation of a wind turbine layout using specialist modelling software. Best practice would suggest engaging appropriately qualified people to use such software packages. Appendix E provides a best-practice approach to addressing the risk of shadow flicker by providing a set of modelling assumptions for assessment of any layout and an exposure limit that should not be exceeded. 3.6 Electromagnetic interference (EMI) The issue Wind turbines can interfere with electromagnetic (or radio communication) signals either by blocking, reflecting or refracting electromagnetic waves emitted from a source. They can also on-transmit or scatter radio communication signals. Microwave, television, radar and radio transmissions are all examples of radio communication signals which may be impacted by the development of a wind farm. Guidance notes Appendix F provides best practice guidance about the issues associated with EMI impacts, and details methods for assessing the potential of such impacts. They also advise on which stakeholders should be consulted and what sort of information they may require. Mitigation strategies and post-construction monitoring methodologies are also presented. 3.7 Aircraft safety The issue Wind farms inherently involve the construction of tall structures (towers plus blades) that have potential to impact on the safety of low flying commercial, private and defence aircraft. In this respect, wind farms are similar to tall buildings, communications towers and other tall engineered structures. They differ by virtue that they are generally located in areas remote from other tall structures, and are generally deployed along ridgelines (further exacerbating the potential impacts) and they involve components moving through shared airspace. Thus, the primary impact of a wind farm is the potential safety risk it may pose to aircraft operating at low levels (below 350 metres above ground level) in vicinity of the wind farm. The movement of the turbine blades and the materials and size of the turbines may also interfere with radio communications and aircraft and meteorological radar. These potential impacts would need to be considered when selecting a site and in designing a layout for the site. Page 12 Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010
Guidance notes The physical intrusion of towers and blades into the airspace used by aircraft is addressed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) guidelines, which are currently under review. The CASA guidelines, once finalised, may indicate that night lighting should be installed on some or all turbines within the wind farm. This, in turn, may pose a visual impact that will need to be considered in the landscape assessment and in the birds and bats assessment. The proponent should also ensure that key aviation bodies are consulted with during the planning and development of the project, particularly CASA, Air Services Australia and the Department of Defence. Aircraft safety related assessments are particularly important where major airports, aerodromes or landing strips are nearby, or if farmers in the area utilise aircraft for cropdusting, mustering or other purposes. There is also a need to ensure that structures are reported so that they may be depicted on aeronautical charts. CASA Advisory Circular AC 139-08(0) - Reporting of Tall Structures provides details of when and how this is to be done. The above mentioned authorities should be contacted in the project feasibility stage. The potential to affect radio communications and radar services is addressed as part of the assessment of electromagnetic interference (see Section 3.6). Section 4 and Appendices C and G show at what stage during the planning process aircraft safety (including night lighting) should be addressed. 3.8 Blade glint The issue Blade glint can be produced when the sun’s light is reflected from the surface of wind turbine blades. Blade glint has potential to annoy people. Guidance notes All major wind turbine blade manufacturers currently finish their blades with a low reflectivity treatment. This prevents a potentially annoying reflective glint from the surface of the blades and the possibility of a strobing reflection when the turbine blades are spinning. Therefore the risk of blade glint from a new development is considered to be very low. Proponents should ensure that blades from their supplier are of low reflectivity. 3.9 Fire risk Similar to other facilities where there is electrical equipment (e.g. generators and transformers) and flammable materials (e.g. lubricant oils, vehicle fuels, etc), there is a risk of fire associated with wind farms. Although the risk is considered to be low, proponents should consult with local and regional fire authorities to ensure an appropriate fire management plan is in place to respond to a potential fire prior to the development of a site. 3.10 Heritage The issue Places of cultural significance to communities and individuals occur in many places throughout Australia. The terms heritage or cultural heritage are often used when discussing the historic connection that people have with particular places. Wind farms may be proposed at or near places of cultural significance and have the potential to impact on the significance of those places by altering the landscape, or by disturbing the ground and interfering with culturally significant artefacts. Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 13
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 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 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
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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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