Appendix K Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and Addendum
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Appendix K Landscape and visual impact assessment and addendum Environmental impact statement Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer June 2009 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Purpose of this report 1 1.2 Project overview 1 1.3 The location of the project 1 2 SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT 3 2.1 General 3 2.2 Assumptions of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) 3 2.3 Limitations of the LVIA 4 3 METHODOLOGY 5 3.1 General 5 3.2 Baseline Environment 5 3.3 Assessment of Impacts 6 3.4 Simulations 8 3.5 Significance of Impact 8 4 PLANNING, STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS & GUIDANCE 9 4.1 ACT 9 4.2 NSW 9 4.3 Commonwealth 10 4.4 General Standards & Guidance for LVIA 10 5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION & EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 11 5.1 General 11 5.2 Regional Landscape Character 11 5.3 Local Landscape Character & Visual Context 12 5.4 ACT 15 5.5 NSW 20 6 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS 29 6.1 General 29 6.2 Construction Phase 29 6.3 Operation Phase 31 6.4 ACT Local Site Assessment 33 6.5 NSW Local Site Assessment 39 7 MITIGATION MEASURES 45 7.1 General 45 7.2 Construction Phase 45 7.3 Operation Phase 46 8 RESIDUAL IMPACTS 49 8.1 Construction 49 8.2 Operation 49 9 CONCLUSIONS & SUMMARY OF IMPACTS 51 10 REFERENCES 55 FIGURES Figure 1 Location of the Murrumbidgee to Googong pipeline, HLPS, LLPS and discharge site. 2 Figure 2 Location of the six sites based upon landscape character and ACT / NSW borders 13 Figure 3 Location of photos taken as shown in Baseline Conditions. 14 Figure 4 Example of a mobile electrical sub-station. 30 Figure 5 Example photograph of an air valve from a similar pipeline project. 32 TABLES Glossary of Terms & Abbreviations 6 Table 1 Assessment of Landscape Impact 6 Table 2 Assessment of Receptor Sensitivity 7 Table 3 Significance of Impact 8 Table 4 Site 1 Angle Crossing Baseline Conditions 15 Table 5 Site 2a Monaro Highway Baseline Conditions 18 Table 6 Site 2b Bombala Railway Baseline Conditions 20 Table 7 Site 3 Gibraltar Range Baseline Conditions 22 Table 8 Site 4a Burra Rural Residential District Baseline Conditions 24 Table 9 Site 4b Burra Township & Burra Creek Baseline Conditions 26 Table 10 Significance of Impact 29 Table 11 Site 1 Angle Crossing Assessment 33 Table 12 Site 2a Monaro Highway Assessment 38 Table 13 Site 2b Bombala Railway Assessment 39 Table 14 Site 3 Gibraltar Range Assessment 40 Table 15 Site 4a Burra Rural District Assessment 40 Table 16 Site 4b Burra Township & Burra Creek 42 Table 17 Summary of Significance of Impacts 52 Glossary of Terms & Abbreviations Term Definition Built Form The component features of buildings, streets and spaces that make up built structure/s. Cumulative impact The summation of impacts that result from changes caused by a development in conjunction with other past, present or reasonably foreseeable actions. Element A component, part or feature of the landscape (e.g. river, tree, hedges, bush). Groups of features of the soft landscape, for example roadside planting, street trees, open space. Enhancement Landscape improvement through restoration, rehabilitation, reconstruction or creation. Heritage Historic or cultural associations. Indirect impact Impacts on the environment that are not a direct result of the development but are often produced away from it or as a result of a complex association, such as off-site traffic movements. Landscape Soft features of the urban, suburban, rural or natural environment, such as vegetation and green open spaces. Landscape baseline A description of the environment as it is currently (year 2008) and as it could be expected to develop if the project were not to proceed (up to the planned opening year). Landscape condition Based on judgements about the physical state of a particular landscape/area, and about its visual and functional intactness. It also reflects the state of repair of individual features and elements that make up the character of any one place. Landscape The process of attaching value (non-monetary) to a particular landscape evaluation area, usually by the application of previously agreed criteria, including consultation and third party documents, in the context of the assessment. Landscape impact Change in the elements, characteristics, character and qualities of the landscape as a result of development. These impacts can be positive or negative. Landscape feature Prominent eye-catching elements, or example a church spire, monument, distinctive landmark building, significant mature specimen tree that contributes to landscape character through appearance or specific civic use. Landscape quality Largely subjective judgement based on particular characteristics that influence the way in which the environment is experienced, including special interests such as cultural associations or heritage interests, the presence and/or type of elements and condition. Landscape resource The combination of elements that contribute to landscape context, character and value. Landscape The extent to which landscape can accept a change of a particular type sensitivity and scale without unacceptable adverse impacts on its character. LANDSCAPE & VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT JUNE 2009 Term Definition Landscape value Areas of formally designated landscape that through national or local consensus, reflect the value placed by society on particular environments and/or their features. Magnitude A combination of the scale, extent and duration of an impact. Methodology The specific approach and techniques used for a given study. Mitigation Measures, including any process, activity or design to avoid, reduce, remedy or compensate for adverse landscape and visual impacts of a development project. Perception (of The psychology of seeing and possibly attaching a value and/or meaning landscape) (to landscape). Public open space Land provided in urban or rural areas for public recreation, though not necessarily publicly owned. Receptor Physical landscape resource, special interest or person and/or viewer group that will experience an impact. Residual impact An impact that occurs/persists after mitigation measures have been put in place. Sense of place The essential character and spirit (genius loci) of an area. Sustainability The principle that the environment should be protected in such a condition and to such a degree that ensures new development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Landscape The re-use or redevelopment of decaying or run-down parts of regeneration landscape/areas to bring them new life, vitality, quality and value. Visual amenity The value of a particular area or view in terms of what is seen. Visual impact Changes in the appearance of the landscape or in the composition of available views as a result of development, to people’s responses to these changes, and to the overall impacts in regard to visual amenity. This can be positive (i.e. beneficial or an improvement) or negative (i.e. adverse or a detraction). Visual envelope Extent of potential visibility to or from a specific area, feature or proposal. Zone of visual Area within which a proposed development may have an influence or influence impact. Abbreviations ACT Australian Capital Territory CMA Catchment Management Authority (e.g. Murrumbidgee CMA) CMP Construction Management Plan EEC Endangered Ecological Community EIA Environmental Impact Assessment Term Definition EMP Environmental Management Plan HLPS High Lift Pump Station LEP Low Lift Pump Station LGAs Local Government Areas LLPS Low Lift Pump Station Local area According to the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change guidelines for Section 5A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) ‘significance assessment tests’ the local area is synonymous with the study area. LVIA Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment M2G Murrumbidgee River to Googong Dam raw water transfer project. MRC Murrumbidgee River Corridor NSW New South Wales PCL Parks, Conservation and Lands division of TAMS sp. Species (singular) spp. Species (plural) study area The area that is the subject of the study. Sub-region CMA Catchment sub-region (e.g. Monaro sub-catchment within the Murrumbidgee CMA) TAMS Territory and Municipal Services, ACT Government UK United Kingdom LANDSCAPE & VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT JUNE 2009 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this report ACTEW Corporation Limited (ACTEW) proposes to undertake the Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer Project (referred to in this report as ‘the project’). This report has been prepared to provide an assessment of the landscape and visual impacts of the project as an input to the environmental impact assessment. The environmental impact assessment is being prepared in accordance with the requirements of Part 3A of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and the ACT Planning and Development Act 2007. The report addresses the requirements of the Director-General of the NSW Department of Planning (the Director-General’s Requirements) dated 7 October 2008 and the Final Scoping Document prepared by the ACT Planning & Land Authority (the Scoping Document) dated 16 December 2008. 1.2 Project overview In recent years the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region has been experiencing severe drought conditions coupled with increased demand for water. Canberra and Queanbeyan have been subject to level three water restrictions since 2006. The current drought, together with predicted climate change and population growth, is driving the search for a more reliable water supply for the ACT. In response to this need, the ACT Government developed the Water Security Program, which identified a range of new water supply projects. The project is one of the preferred options for delivering improved security to the ACT’s water supply. It involves pumping water from the Murrumbidgee River (within the ACT) and transferring it via a pipeline to the Googong Reservoir via Burra Creek (in NSW). The Googong Reservoir supplies water treated to drinking quality standards to the ACT.