Mount Majura Solar Farm - the National Capital Authority

The additional traffic generated during the operation phase would have a negligible impact on local road andtraffic conditions. Additional vehicle visits required for maintenance activities would be low and would have asimilarly low impact on the local and regional road system.4.5BushfireThe ACT Emergencies Act 2004 was developed in response to the Report of the McLeod Inquiry into theoperational response to the catastrophic January 2003 bushfires in the ACT.The local bushfire season generally occurs between October and March, but is extended in some years.High danger weather conditions during summer arise from strong north-westerly fronts generated from theinterior which may be extremely hot and dry. Fire danger is particularly high when such conditions precede asoutherly change. Dry thunderstorms can occur any time but are a particular problem during summer. Themain ignition sources are burning off, lightning, incendiaries, campfires and accidental causes.The subject site carries exotic pasture that could carry a grass fire during the summer fire danger period.Additionally there is the Majura Pine Plantation along the southern border of the property.The proponent would comply with all of the requirements of the Emergencies Act 2004 and relatedguidelines and policies in relation to construction activities during the fire danger period. The ProposedWorks are not likely to produce bushfire risks during the construction period.The operation of the Proposed Works itself is considered unlikely to represent an ignition risk. The risk of thesolar array or associated equipment causing a grass fire is considered to be very low, and the risk can beeasily mitigated by applying best practice design and installation methods. Vegetation under the array wouldbe managed and kept low by slashing. If sowing of pasture grasses in the array area is required, lowgrowing species should be selected. Also refer to Chapter 0 for additional discussion of ground covermanagement.A 7 to 10 metre wide clearance corridor would be maintained around the array and onsite vegetationmanaged to minimise risks of ignition due damage to the array from tree fall and to maintain good accessand fire breaks around the array. Access tracks on the subject site will also be improved, and this networkwould help to provide a firebreak during any bushfire events and to provide access for fire suppressionduring any fire event.A number of transformers and inverters would be installed in groups throughout the PV array, each in anenclosure on a concrete slab. The transformers would be bunded with a capacity exceeding the volume ofthe transformer oil (2030 litres) to contain the oil in the event of a major leak or fire. The transformers wouldbe regularly inspected and maintained to ensure leaks do not present a fire hazard, and to ensure the47Mount Majura Solar Farm – Works Approval Submission