Plan Change 15 RURAL NOISE PROVISIONS
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SECTIONAL DISTRICT PLAN REVIEW Plan Change 15 RURAL NOISE PROVISIONS for PALMERSTON NORTH CITY COUNCIL File No. N2360 Version Final V1 9 September 2014 ACOUSAFE CONSULTING & ENGINEERING LTD Nigel Lloyd Director of Acoustic Services E-mail: [email protected] P.O. BOX 14-315 WELLINGTON 6241, NEW ZEALAND. TELEPHONE 64-4-388 3407 ACOUSAFE CONSULTING & ENGINEERING LTD 412 1830 CONTENTS 1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 2 Outline of Tasks ........................................................................................ 1 2.1 General District Plan Provisions ......................................................... 1 2.2 Wind Farm Noise Brief ........................................................................ 2 2.3 Reverse Sensitivity Noise ................................................................... 2 3 General District Plan Noise Provisions ...................................................... 3 3.1 Operative District Plan – Noise Rules ................................................. 3 3.2 Section 6 Exclusions ........................................................................... 4 3.3 Updating Noise Rule R 9.12.1 ............................................................ 5 3.4 Recommended Noise Rules for the Rural Zone ................................. 5 3.5 Other Zone Interfaces ......................................................................... 6 4 Wind Farm Noise ....................................................................................... 7 4.1 Supporting Documents ....................................................................... 7 4.2 National Policy Statement and Implementation Guide ........................ 7 4.3 Turitea Wind Farm Decision ............................................................... 7 4.4 Te Rere Hau Wind Farm Declaration .................................................. 8 4.5 GEM Technical Workshop Report 2008.............................................. 9 4.6 Operative District Plan Provisions - Activity Status for Wind Farms .... 9 4.7 Section 6 Exclusions for Wind Farm Noise ....................................... 10 4.8 Definition of Wind Farm .................................................................... 10 4.9 NZS6808:2008 .................................................................................. 11 4.10 NZS6808 High Amenity Areas ....................................................... 12 4.11 Porirua City Council Plan Change ................................................. 12 4.12 Proposed Wind Farm Rules........................................................... 13 4.13 Wind Farm Discretionary Activity - Assessment Criteria ................ 15 4.14 Wind Farm Noise - Reverse Sensitivity ......................................... 15 5 Quarry Noise ........................................................................................... 20 5.1 Supporting Documents ..................................................................... 20 5.2 Existing District Plan Activity Status .................................................. 21 5.3 Existing District Plan Noise Rules ..................................................... 22 5.4 Existing Quarries .............................................................................. 22 6 State Highway Noise ............................................................................... 24 7 Rail Noise ................................................................................................ 26 8 General Reverse Sensitivity Considerations ........................................... 27 9 Conclusions ............................................................................................. 28 P.O. BOX 14-315 WELLINGTON 6241, NEW ZEALAND. TELEPHONE 64-4-388 3407 ACOUSAFE CONSULTING & ENGINEERING LTD 413 1831 District Plan Change 15 Rural Zone Noise Provisions Status – Final V1 1 Introduction This is a Sectional District Plan Change Review of the Palmerston North City Rural Zone, including: General noise controls, Wind farms Quarries, State Highway noise Rail noise, and Controls on reverse sensitivity issues such as nearby noise sensitive development and subdivision, These are all significant issues that need to be addressed in the Rural Zone. In 2012 PNCC undertook a successful boundary change process with Manawatu District Council. The newly incorporated land is predominantly rural and is likely to be zoned Rural under the Palmerston North City District Plan. Some of this land is proposed to be rezoned Industrial to provide for the future extension of the North East Industrial Zone. This review considers domestic and commercial scale wind generation activities. Domestic machines are significantly smaller than those found in commercial wind farms and would be utilised in small numbers. Domestic wind turbines would normally be required to meet the District Plan noise limits. Commercial machines may be 100 metres tall or more and generate significantly higher noise levels. To date wind farms in the Manawatu and Tararua areas have been developed as large-scale projects with varying degrees of acceptance from rural neighbours. There have been high levels of objection to wind farm noise at certain locations, as evidenced by the number of submissions received opposing wind farm proposals, in the past decade. Noise issues relating to quarries, State Highways and rail corridors are considered in this review with a particular emphasis on the protection against reverse sensitivity. Reference to the District Plan in this review means the Palmerston North City District Plan, unless it states otherwise. 2 Outline of Tasks The brief for this Noise Report is as follows: 2.1 General District Plan Provisions a) Incorporate any changes to NZ standards that impact on the Rural Zone noise provisions: (i) changes to existing NZ Standards that are currently referenced in the Operative District Plan, (ii) incorporation of relevant new NZ Standards by reference, and P.O. BOX 14-315 WELLINGTON 6241, NEW ZEALAND. TELEPHONE 64-4-388 3407 ACOUSAFE CONSULTING & ENGINEERING LTD 414 1832 District Plan Review Industrial Zone 2 Noise Provisions Status – Final V1 (iii) update of the Rural Zone Noise provisions as a consequence of changes in NZ Standards, such as NZS 6801 and 6802. b) Identify any other activities in the Rural Zone that may require specific noise provisions and recommend provisions accordingly while being aware of the Boundary Change Area, and c) Draft new District Plan noise provisions to fit with the structure and approach of the operative District Plan, as far as practicable. Give consideration to and provide advice on any transitional issues. 2.2 Wind Farm Noise Brief Regarding wind farm noise, an assessment will be made of the existing District Plan policies and objectives and rules to identify where these need to be changed and what additional measures are required. The aim is to prepare a noise section for the draft plan change. The technical advice sought by Council is as follows: a) Review the current Manawatu District and Palmerston North City Rural Zone noise provisions, in particular Rule 9.12.1 of the Palmerston North City District Plan. b) Specific recommendations for domestic and national scale wind' farms taking into account the relevant NZ Standards. Note: We will need to discuss the broad approach to managing wind farms in the District Plan but still support the conclusions of 2008 technical workshop - GEM report. c) Specific recommendations to manage reverse sensitivity noise effects on existing I consented wind farms. d) Consider whether there are any 'high amenity areas' as envisaged by NZS 6808:2010 (cl 5.3) which ought to be considered for identification within the District Plan. 2.3 Reverse Sensitivity Noise A section of the original brief referred to Quarry noise and “other existing activities” with reverse sensitivity noise effects. In a recent Sectional Plan Change hearing for the Whakarongo Urban Growth Area (“PC6”), submissions were received from New Zealand Transport Agency (“NZTA”) and KiwiRail who sought protection from reverse sensitivity impacts from new dwellings close to the State Highway system and to the railway line respectively. Each of quarries, the State Highway roading system and the rail system are important infrastructural elements that need to be protected from inappropriate development by noise sensitive activities that would result in possible future restrictions occurring. Inappropriate development can unwittingly expose people to noise that exceeds levels that are considered suitable to protect residential health and amenity. P.O. BOX 14-315 WELLINGTON 3, NEW ZEALAND. TELEPHONE 64-4-388 3407. FAX 64-4-388 3507 ACOUSAFE CONSULTING & ENGINEERING LTD 415 1833 District Plan Review Industrial Zone 3 Noise Provisions Status – Final V1 3 General District Plan Noise Provisions 3.1 Operative District Plan – Noise Rules Section 6: General. Rule 6.2.6.2(e) of the District Plan specifically excludes wind farms from the District Plan’s Noise Control Rules and states: (e) Sounds generated by wind farm activities in the Rural Zone shall be assessed, predicted, measured and controlled by reference to New Zealand Standard NZS6808:1998 Acoustics – The Assessment and Measurement of Sound From Wind Turbine Generators. The Noise Rule for the Rural Zone is found in Rule R9.12.1: (a) Sound emissions from any activity in the Rural Zone when measured at or within the boundary of any