Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

Initial fieldwork and investigation of the area proposed for a wind farm development will
assist in the site selection process, and ideally would be done before the wind monitoring
process begins.
C.3.2 Preliminary Landscape Assessment
The output from the tasks below is a Preliminary Assessment Report that aims to inform the
Broad Landscape Assessment and subsequent Visual Impact Assessment (C.4.1 and C.4.2)
by:
• Summarises existing research and fieldwork regarding the landscape character and
features in the area that could be affected by the proposed wind farm.
• Identifies regionally and/or locally significant views and viewing locations.
• Draws preliminary conclusions about locations (public and private) from which the
proposed wind farm is likely to be visible, or which the development may impact on in
some manner, and the relative importance of the landscape character and features
in the those locations.
• Identifies any strongly-held community values that might influence the development
of a wind farm in this landscape
• Depicts, in a preliminary manner, the visibility of the wind farm development in the
landscape.
• Identifies substantial gaps in knowledge to be addressed in subsequent stages.
In compiling the report, the following questions should be considered:
• Are landscapes of significance identified Do they contain values which the wind
farm might impact
• Have landscapes, features and views/viewing locations held in high regard locally
been identified Can the wind farm avoid impacting on these
• Have the views of potential stakeholders and identified communities of interest been
identified and documented
• Are there preliminary adjustments to location or scale (e.g. number of turbines) which
would provide a better fit in this landscape
• What should be the preliminary landscape and visual management objectives for the
project
• Is there enough information to proceed to Stage 3, or to determine the landscape
impact does not require further assessment
C.3.2.1
Defining the scope and policy context
Information should be gathered relevant to providing an understanding of the landscape
values of the proposed wind farm site and surrounding area. Sources of information should
include:
• National
National Trust register.
Registers held by the Commonwealth including the National and
Commonwealth Heritage Lists and the Register of the National Estate.
Any relevant Commonwealth policies.
Any relevant Commonwealth studies/ guidelines, or studies by national bodies,
including those currently in progress.
Any relevant decisions made under Commonwealth legislation.
Page 76 Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010