Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines - July 2010

Advanced photomontages should also be prepared that accurately depict the visibility of
the wind farm development in the landscape from key locations identified in the C.3.2.3
Preliminary views analysis (see Photomontage Practice Note, Section C.7.6). Any
preliminary ‘wire frame’ photomontages developed in the C.3.2.3 Preliminary views
analysis should be used as a base for developing these advanced presentation level
outputs.
It may also be worthwhile to prepare a number of cross-sections that accurately illustrate
key residences and their proximity to proposed wind farm turbines and ancillary
infrastructure.
If landscape impacts are anticipated to be potentially decisive when the planning
application is assessed, it may be worthwhile to prepare 3D simulation(s) (or animations)
and/ or virtual reality (VR) modelling of the proposed wind farm and surrounding context to
accurately illustrate the impact of the wind farm development on the landscape, as
experienced by a person moving through the subject landscape (see 3D Simulation
Practice Note, Section C.7.4, and Virtual Reality (VR) Modelling Practice Note, Section
C.7.8).
In developing computer-generated representations, it should be recognised that wind
farms have a number of attributes which contribute to their potential impact on the
landscape. All depictions should include accurate information about the type, size,
location and design of the wind farm turbines and all ancillary infrastructure (e.g.
substations, transmission lines, access tracks, roads, buildings) associated with the
development, in order to clearly understand potential impacts. The depictions also need
to address the ‘combined visual envelope’, namely the visual impact of all other wind
farms, major infrastructure and/or developments identified in the C.3.2.5 Identification of
possible cumulative impacts, and should include proposed developments in the region
that have been approved but not yet built.
The assessment of impacts should also consider the requirements of other authorities and
how these may alter the nature of the project and its potential landscape impacts. For
example, in some locations, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority may require aircraft warning
lights to be located on turbines.
Consideration should also be given to undertaking site visits to existing wind farms in order
to test assumptions and assess visibility under diverse viewing conditions (e.g. in different
weather conditions).
C.4.1.4
Community values analysis
A detailed approach to facilitate the identification of community-held values about the
landscape should be developed. This should include opportunities for communities and
stakeholders to be involved in describing and evaluating the landscape character and
features and significance of the proposed wind farm site and surrounding area. It may be
necessary to refine the community stakeholder list developed during the C.3.2.4
Preliminary community values analysis prior to consulting with communities and
stakeholders.
The consultation process will provide an opportunity for stakeholders and communities to
identify and describe the values they hold about landscapes, and allow the consultant to
examine the nature and strength of values within each community and the aggregated
values at a local, regional, state and national scale.
On the basis of analysis work in this Task and in the C.3.2.4 Preliminary community
values analysis, the analysis should then draw firm conclusions about community-held
values about the landscape of the wind farm site and surrounding area (and elements
within it), particularly with regard to:
• The strength of the values of identifiable groups in the local community.
Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines – 2 July 2010 Page 83