Silverton Wind Farm, NSW: Stages 2 and 3 and Powerline Route (Broken Hill to Red Cliffs) Aboriginal Heritage and Non Indigenous Heritage
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Silverton Wind Farm, NSW: Stages 2 and 3 and Powerline route (Broken Hill to Red Cliffs) Aboriginal Heritage and Non Indigenous Heritage February 2007 A report to nghenvironmental on behalf of Silverton Wind Farm Developments Julie Dibden New South Wales Archaeology Pty Limited PO Box 2135 Central Tilba NSW 2546 Ph/fax 02 44737947 mob. 0427074901 [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. SUMMARY......................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................1 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF IMPACT..............................................................................................................................1 1.3 OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................................................1 1.4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT.......................................................................................................................2 1.5 DATABASE SEARCHES ..................................................................................................................................2 1.6 CONCLUSIONS ..............................................................................................................................................3 1.7 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................................................4 2. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................5 2.1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................5 3. STUDY METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................................................................6 3.1 LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................................................6 3.2 METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................................................6 4. LANDSCAPE CONTEXT..............................................................................................................................8 4.1 SILVERTON WIND FARM STAGES 2 AND 3....................................................................................................8 4.2 OVERHEAD TRANSMISSION LINE: BROKEN HILL TO RED CLIFFS ...............................................................16 5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT - INDIGENOUS ................................................................................30 5.1 SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................................30 5.2 HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................31 5.3 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED SITES...................................................................................................................32 5.4 ARCHAEOLOGY – REGIONAL CONTEXT......................................................................................................39 5.5 ARCHAEOLOGY – LOCAL CONTEXTS ..........................................................................................................41 5.6 PREDICTIVE MODEL OF SITE TYPE AND LOCATION ....................................................................................51 6. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HERITAGE CONTEXT – NON-INDIGENOUS .....................................54 6.1 REGIONAL OVERVIEW................................................................................................................................54 6.2 HISTORICAL REGISTER SEARCHES ..............................................................................................................59 6.3 HISTORICAL THEMES .................................................................................................................................61 6.4 PREDICTIVE MODEL ...................................................................................................................................65 7. STATUTORY CONTEXT ...........................................................................................................................68 8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................69 8.1 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................................69 9. REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................70 Silverton Wind Farm Stages 2 and 3 and Overhead Transmission Line: Broken Hill to Red Cliffs 1. SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction New South Wales Archaeology Pty Ltd was commissioned by nghenvironmental on behalf of Silverton Wind Farm Developments in November 2007 to compile an archaeological and heritage review of the proposed Silverton Wind Farm Stages 2 and 3 and a proposed overhead transmission line between Broken Hill and Red Cliffs. The purpose of this review is to identify any issues and/or constraints which are likely to arise in relation to the proposal and to recommend strategies for the mitigation of impacts. Silverton Wind Farm Developments proposes to develop a wind farm near Silverton, northwest of Broken Hill, for the purpose of electricity generation. The proposed wind farm is defined as a Major Project under Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. This report will be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning to support a Concept Approval application. 1.2 Description of Impact Silverton Wind Farm Stages 2 and 3 The turbine envelope (the indicative area in which turbines would be positioned) for all stages of the proposed Silverton wind farm measures approximately 32,100 hectares in area. Stage 2 and 3, located adjacent to Stage 1, represents approximately 75% of this area. It is understood that tracks, turbine footings and hardstand areas will be required within discrete locations of the turbine envelope. Overhead Transmission Line: Broken Hill to Red Cliffs The proposed transmission line extends from an existing substation on the western outskirts of Broken Hill to Red Cliffs in Victoria immediately adjacent to an existing 132 kV line. The proposed power line will duplicate the existing high voltage power line, and measures approximately 300 kilometres in length. The majority of the route is within New South Wales however, 1.3 kilometres is in Victoria. The power line will require pole footings to be excavated at discrete intervals of approximately 250 – 500 metres. It is understood that the line voltage of the power line would require an easement of approximately 50 metres to be created and maintained adjacent to the existing easement. Clearing would be required where trees occur prior to line raising. There may be scope to overlap easements, reducing the new easement width to 25 metres in some areas. 1.3 Objectives The aim of this review is to: • Document any archaeological and heritage sites known to be present in the proposal area; • Provide a predictive statement in regard to type of archaeological sites and heritage features which may be situated within the proposal area and not yet listed on heritage databases; and • Outline any issues or constraints which are known, or predicted to arise, in relation to the proposal; and • Provide a series of recommendations which outline as much as feasible proposed strategies to mitigate impacts to cultural heritage relating to the proposal. Indigenous The review of the Indigenous archaeological and heritage context of the proposed impacts areas has sought to: • Document the results of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW DECC) Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System site searches; • Provide a summary review of relevant previous heritage studies conducted in the region; • Outline a predictive model of site location relevant to the impact areas. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ New South Wales Archaeology Pty Ltd February 2008 1 Silverton Wind Farm Stages 2 and 3 and Overhead Transmission Line: Broken Hill to Red Cliffs Non Indigenous The review of the historical archaeological and heritage context of the proposed impacts areas has sought to: • Document the results of heritage database searches; • Provide a summary review of the historical context of the proposal area; • List the historical themes relating to the area; • Outline a predictive model of site location relevant to the impact areas. 1.4 Archaeological Context A review of previous archaeological investigations in the area has been undertaken in order to provide an analytical context to the assessment. Two previous studies are directly relevant to this assessment and are listed as follows: Silverton Wind Farm Stages 2 and 3 The archaeological and heritage assessment relating to the Silverton Wind Farm Stage 1 project forms the primary basis for the assessment of the proposed Stages 2 and 3 areas.