XURBAN XURBAN
Murra Warra Solar Project
Landscape & Visual Assessment
For: RES Australia Pty Ltd
October 2017 | FINAL
XURBAN
Murra Warra Solar Project
Landscape & Visual Assessment
Client RES Australia Pty Ltd
Project No 15067 Version FINAL
Signed
Approved by Allan Wyatt
Date 18 October 2017
XURBAN
Suite 1103 | 408 Lonsdale Street | Melbourne 3000 | Victoria | Australia ABN | 18831715013
Landscape & Visual Assessment i
XURBAN
Table of Contents
Executive summary iv
1. Introduction 1 Report approach 1
2. Project description 2 PV Modules & solar arrays 4 Control room and storage shed 6 Solar overhead system collector corridor 6 Access tracks 6
3. Visual impact methodology 7 Assessment criteria – publicly accessible viewpoints 7 Scale of Effects 8 Residential viewpoints 8 Seen area analysis 9 Photomontages 9
4. Viewshed and Zones of Visual Influence 10 Viewshed calculations 10
5. Planning policy 12 State Planning Policy Framework 12 Planning Schemes 12 The Western Victoria Landscape Assessment Study 13
6. Landscape units 15 Topography 15 Vegetation 15 Land use 15 Landscape Units 15 Landscape Unit 1 - Agricultural land 15 Landscape & viewer sensitivity 16
7. Landscape & visual impact assessment 17 Residential impact 18
8. Henty Highway 19 Viewpoint H1 – Henty Highway#1 19 Viewpoint H2 – Henty Highway#2 20
Landscape & Visual Assessment ii
XURBAN
9. Local roads 21 Viewpoint L1 – Dimboola Minyip Rd / Exells Road 21 Viewpoint L2 – Old Minyip Road 22
10. Residential impact 23
11. Conclusion 24
Table of figures Figure 1 Solar arrays (Map source: Spatial Vision, north west Victoria) 3 Figure 2 Solar Project location (Map source: Google Earth Pro) 3 Figure 3 Solar overhead collector system corridor (Source: Res) 4 Figure 4 Solar arrays – tracker array (Source: Res) 5 Figure 5 Solar arrays – fixed array (Source: Res) 5 Figure 6 Solar overhead collector system corridor (Source: Res) 6 Figure 7 Assessing the visual impact 7 Figure 8 Horizontal field of view 10 Figure 9 Vertical field of view 10 Figure 10 Solar project location within WVLAS (Draft) 13 Figure 11 Significant views & significant landscapes (WVLAS) 14 Figure 12 Viewpoint locations (Map source: Google Earth Pro) 17 Figure 13 Viewpoint H1 19 Figure 14 Viewpoint H2 20 Figure 15 Viewpoint L1 -looking south and west 21 Figure 16 Old Minyip Road 22
Landscape & Visual Assessment iii
XURBAN Executive summary
The Murra Warra Solar Project is situated in a landscape that has a low sensitivity to change. It is a broad-acre rural landscape that has been cleared to create huge areas for farming. The Landscape Assessment Study refers to this landscape character type as ‘Big Plains’ and this is illustrative of its character. The flat topography and the extensive clearing has created a large landscape, a landscape which can accommodate proposed solar project.
Areas of greater sensitivity including all the urban areas, are all situated at some distance from the solar project, Horsham is more than 30 km from the edge of the solar facility.
The Planning Schemes also reflect the very limited significance given to landscapes within the viewshed. Important natural landscapes are well outside the viewshed. The Grampians are over 45 km to the south and Mt Arapiles is more than 55 km to the south west. The Little Desert National Park, lie approximately 50 km away. There would be no visual impact on these landscapes.
The closest conservation area is the Barret Flora and Fauna Reserve which is more than 4 km to the north west of the solar facility. At this distance, there would be negligible to nil visual impact.
The greatest overall visual impact from publicly accessible locations, whether highways, or local roads, has been assessed as negligible. Negligible is defined in the Visual Impact Methodology (Chapter 3) as a “minute level of effect that is barely discernible over ordinary day-to-day effects..” This describes the impact of the proposed solar project in this Wimmera landscape.
The following landscape and visual assessment sets out how these conclusions were derived and shows that this is an appropriate location for a solar project.
Landscape & Visual Assessment iv
XURBAN
1. Introduction RES Australia Pty Ltd is seeking a planning permit for the proposed Murra Warra Solar Project which is to be located to the north of Horsham in the Wimmera district of north west Victoria.
The Murra Warra Solar Project is located adjacent to land that has been granted a planning permit for the Murra Warra Wind Farm which comprises 116 wind turbines which could be to a maximum tip height of 220 m.
It is within a landscape that can accommodate these structures, that the solar project is proposed.
XURBAN has been engaged by RES Australia Pty Ltd to undertake this landscape and visual assessment of the proposed Murra Warra Solar Project.
Report approach This report has been prepared in accordance with the Application Requirements of Clause 52.42-2, which requires an application for a renewable energy facility to be accompanied by an assessment of the development in the context of the surrounding area and from key public view points.
The following report seeks to discuss the landscape and visual impact implications of the proposed Murra Warra Solar Project within this Wimmera landscape.
This report will firstly describe the visual components of the proposed Murra Warra Solar Project as it is the size, scale and spread of the solar project that determines its viewshed.
After determining the appropriate viewshed and the various zones of visual influence, this report will then examine the Planning Controls which apply to the land within the viewshed and describe the landscape units within the viewshed.
After ascertaining the landscape character types and their sensitivity to change, indicative viewpoints within the viewshed are selected to assess the on-ground visual and landscape impacts of the proposed sola project.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 1
XURBAN
2. Project description The project will consist of a Solar PV facility of up to 235MW AC arranged as either a series of fixed or tracker arrays. The arrays consist of approximately 900,000 1 mx2 mx0.05 m PV panels mounted on steel or aluminium racking. The PV modules for a fixed array are arranged to face north, however, for a tracker array, the modules are arranged north to south with the panels tilting around a centre rail to follow the sun’s trajectory throughout the day. There will be a number of 7 m wide graded tracks across the site to allow all weather access for construction and operational maintenance. There will be a small control building and warehouse / maintenance building at the entrance to the site.
Power from the panels will be inverted from direct current(DC) to alternating current (AC)and then transformed to 33 kV and transported back to a central collector point located in the northwest of the site close to the location of the control building and maintenance facilities. Power will then be carried along a double circuit 33 kV line which runs north then west (2 km in total) of the solar farm to the site of the proposed Terminal Station for Murra Warra Wind Farm. There will be a metering point and some reactive power plant at the terminal station. Power will then be exported to the grid via the wind farm 33 kV to 220 kV transformer.
The project will also include a battery storage facility which will comprise of banks of lithium ion batteries and associated transformers, invertors and control equipment. This facility will be located in a separate secure area adjacent to the terminal station. Batteries and associated equipment will be housed in a purpose-built building.
The project may include some stock proof fencing of up to 2 m height and CCTV camera depending on the Solar Farms Insurance requirements.
There will be up to three temporary construction compounds across the site which will house laydown areas, batch plant, offices etc. These facilities will be removed once work has been completed and the land rehabilitated.
Noise producing equipment will comprise of up to 90 inverter/transformer units which will be distributed throughout the solar farm with an expected capacity of not exceeding 2500 KVA (Dependant on final design selection). Other noise producing equipment will be a 6 kW air- conditioning units located on each battery storage unit.
The Murra Warra Solar Project is located on the south side of the Dimboola Minyip Road and to the west of the Henty Highway. Figure 1 shows the location of the proposed solar arrays on the south side of the Dimboola Minyip Road.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 2
XURBAN
Figure 1 Solar arrays (Map source: Spatial Vision, north west Victoria)
The site where the solar arrays are to be located is that area bordered by a red outline and shaded yellow in Figure 1.
Apart from the solar arrays, the solar project also includes a overhead collection corridor. Figure 2 shows the location of the proposed solar arrays and the solar overhead electrical system corridor and their location west of the Henty Highway superimposed on an aerial photograph.
Figure 2 Solar Project location (Map source: Google Earth Pro)
In Figure 2 the red area designates the location of the solar arrays and the blue outline shows the overhead collector system corridor.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 3
XURBAN PV Modules & solar arrays The PV modules arranged as either a series of fixed or tracker arrays. • The PV modules for a fixed array are arranged to face north. • The PV modules in a tracker array, are arranged north to south with the panels tilting around a centre rail to follow the sun’s trajectory throughout the day.
Either the fixed array or the tracker array will utilise approximately 900,000 1m x 2m x 0.05m PV modules mounted on steel or aluminium racking.
An indicative layout is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 Solar overhead collector system corridor (Source: Res)
Landscape & Visual Assessment 4
XURBAN
Sections through the two forms of arrays are shown in Figure 4 and in Figure 5.
Figure 4 Solar arrays – tracker array (Source: Res)
Alternatively, a fixed array may be installed and are shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 Solar arrays – fixed array (Source: Res)
As the arrays can be up to 4m high, this 4m will form one of the measures used to determine an appropriate viewshed for the solar facility.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 5
XURBAN Control room and storage shed
A control room and storage shed are also proposed on the north-west corner of the solar arrays (designated as the blue area in Figure 3).
The control room is approximately 10m x 10m and approximately 4.6m high. The storage shed is approximately 15m x 15m x 6m high.
Solar overhead system collector corridor The outline of the solar overhead collector system corridor is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6 Solar overhead collector system corridor (Source: Res)
For the purpose of this assessment it is assumed that the overhead connection between the solar arrays and the terminal station to the north will be on single pole supports approximately 30 m high. The support poles in the overhead collection corridor will be the tallest elements in the proposed solar project.
Access tracks
The proposed solar arrays and the solar overhead collector system corridor will be constructed and serviced by a network of tracks. Figure 3 shows the location of the proposed access tracks which are delineated by the blue lines in Figure 3.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 6
XURBAN
3. Visual impact methodology The methodology used within this Landscape and Visual Assessment is set out below. The criteria for assessing visual impact are different for publicly accessible and private residential viewpoints.
Assessment criteria – publicly accessible viewpoints In assessing the visual impact of a solar project from the public domain the assessment of visual impact is based on four criteria, namely visibility, distance, landscape character & viewer sensitivity and the number of viewers.
Figure 7 Assessing the visual impact
• Visibility: The visibility of a solar project can be affected by intervening topography, vegetation and buildings. • Distance: The distance of the viewer from the proposed nearest solar array or overhead connector. The level of visual impact decreases as distance increases. • Landscape character and viewer sensitivity: The character of the surrounding landscape, both around the site and adjacent to the viewing location, must be considered. Generally, a man-modified landscape is considered of low sensitivity and a pristine landscape is considered highly sensitive. A residential townscape would be given a higher sensitivity than an industrial landscape. • Number of viewers: The level of visual impact decreases where there are fewer people able to view the solar project. Alternatively, the level of visual impact increases where views are from a recognised vantage point. Viewer numbers from a recognised vantage point would be rated as high.
These four criteria need to be considered in the assessment of each viewpoint. However, the ratings of each criterion are not numerically based and cannot be simply added together and averaged to arrive at an overall rating.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 7
XURBAN Scale of Effects The scale of effects, for rating the overall visual impact of the proposed solar project from publicly accessible viewpoints, could range from no impact (nil) to a potentially positive visual impact. Negative visual impacts are graded from negligible to high.
Nil – there is no perceptible visual change.
Positive – is a visual change that improves the outlook or view.
Negligible – minute level of effect that is barely discernible over ordinary day-to-day effects. The assessment of a “negligible” level of visual impact is usually based on distance. That is, the proposed solar project would be at such a distance that, when visible in good weather, it would be a minute element in the view within a man-modified landscape or will be predominantly screened by intervening topography and vegetation.
Low – visual impacts that are noticeable but will not cause any significant adverse impacts. The assessment of a “low” level of visual impact can be derived if the rating of any one of four criteria, that is visibility, distance, viewer numbers and landscape sensitivity, is assessed as low.
Therefore, a solar project in a landscape which is man-modified and which already contains many buildings or other vertical elements may be rated as a low level of visual impact. Similarly, if the distance from which it is viewed means that its scale is similar to other elements in the landscape it would also be assessed as a low level of visual impact.
Medium – visual impact occurs when significant effects may be able to be mitigated / remedied. The assessment of a “medium” visual impact will depend upon all four- assessment criteria being assessed as higher than “low.”
High or unacceptable adverse effect – extensive adverse effects that cannot be avoided, remedied or mitigated. The assessment of a “high or unacceptable adverse effect” from a publicly accessible viewpoint requires the assessment of all these three elements to be high. For example, a highly sensitive landscape, viewed by many people, with the proposed solar project in close proximity and largely visible would lead to an assessment of an unacceptable adverse effect.
Residential viewpoints The assessment of visual impact from residential properties is slightly different to one undertaken from publicly accessible viewpoints. An assessment of viewer numbers is not relevant and the landscape sensitivity is always rated as “high,” as it must be recognised that people feel most strongly about the view from their house and from their outdoor living spaces.
The visibility of a solar project and the distance between the residential location and the development are the two criteria that vary within an assessment of the visual impact from a residential property. Viewer sensitivity is always rated as “high”. arrays and associated infrastructure such as sheds and overhead lines would be indiscernible.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 8
XURBAN Seen area analysis Typically, a Seen Area Analysis is provided as part of a visual assessment. A Seen Area Analysis maps those areas from which some or all the solar arrays are screened from view by topography. This analysis does not take into account the screening afforded by vegetation and buildings.
For this project in the Wimmera, the surrounding landscape is exceedingly flat and therefore there is little opportunity for topography to afford screening of the proposed solar arrays and ancillary structures. However, the height of the solar arrays are quite low (approximately 3 m for the fixed arrays) and although the surrounding landscape is flat their viewshed is consequently quite small. This will be discussed further in the following chapter.
Photomontages Photomontages are often used within a visual assessment to show the impact of a proposed development from selected viewpoint(s). In this case the following analysis will show that the solar collectors are of such a small scale that they would be indiscernible in a photomontage. The landscape is also so flat that there are no elevated vantage points.
For these reasons, there were no photomontages produced as part of this assessment.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 9
XURBAN
4. Viewshed and Zones of Visual Influence
The viewshed is the area that may potentially be visually affected by the solar project. The viewshed is the study area for visual impact.
Viewshed calculations
The parameters of human vision include the vertical and horizontal fields of views as shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9. These figures are based on data from ‘Human Dimension and Interior Space’, Julius Panero & Martin Zellnik, Witney Library of Design,1979. Similar data can be found in the more recent publication entitled ‘The Measure of Man and Woman, Revised Edition’, Henry Dreyfuss Associates, John Whiley & Sons, 2012.
This anthropometric data will form the basis for determining the viewshed for the Murra Warra Solar Project.
Figure 8 Horizontal field of view
The central field of vision is an angle of between 50O to 60O.
The vertical field of view provides an alternative basis for calculating the extent of the viewshed.
Figure 9 Vertical field of view
The maximum height of the proposed solar panels is up to 4 m. The viewshed can be considered to extend to a distance at which a 4 m high solar array or a 30 m high overhead transmission line will take up less than 5% of the full vertical field of view. Typically, the field of view of a person is 10O; therefore 0.5° is 5% of the vertical field of view.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 10
XURBAN
A solar array, 4 m high, viewed from a distance of 460 m will take up 5% of the vertical field of view.
The battery storage facility is approximately 85 m long by 22 m wide and is approximately 3.5 m high. When viewed from a distance of 400 m, it will take up less than 5% of the vertical field of view.
The control room (6 m high), viewed from a distance of 700 m would take up 5% of the vertical field of view.
Proposed power lines within the overhead transmission line corridor may be up to 30 m high. When viewed from a distance of 3.5 km transmission lines would take up 5% of the vertical field of view.
To be conservative, this assessment therefore uses 3.5 km as the extent of the viewshed of the proposed solar project. Beyond the 3.5 km distance, both the solar panels and the transmission lines would be minor elements in the view.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 11
XURBAN
5. Planning policy The following Planning Policies and Guidelines were considered as part of this assessment.
• The State Planning Policy Framework; • The Horsham Planning Scheme and the Yarriambiack Planning Scheme which cover the land within the viewshed; and • The Western Victoria Landscape Assessment Study (WVLAS). The implications of these studies are discussed in the following sections.
State Planning Policy Framework Clause 19.01 of the State Planning Policy Framework sets out the planning policies for Renewable Energy. The objective of the policy is to promote the provision of renewable energy, including solar energy facilities, in a manner that ensures appropriate siting and design considerations are met. The policy states that the Government is committed to achieving a more sustainable energy future for all Victorians. Planning should contribute to the provision of renewable energy by facilitating solar energy development in appropriate locations. One of the issues that the guidelines address are the provisions of the Planning Schemes and especially any provisions that relate to landscape significance or community values that have been identified within the Planning Schemes that apply to areas within the viewshed. The purpose of Clause 52.42 - Renewable energy facility (other than wind energy facility and geothermal energy extraction) is to “facilitate the establishment and expansion of renewable energy facilities, in appropriate locations, with minimal impact on the amenity of the area”. The decision guidelines in Clause 52.42-3 include the provision to consider: • The impact of the proposal on significant views, including visual corridors and sightlines.
Planning Schemes The subject site of the solar project and its viewshed lies on the boundary of the Horsham Planning Scheme and the Yarriambiack Planning Scheme. These planning scheme zones the land upon which the solar project is proposed and all of the surrounding area within the viewshed, as a Farm Zone (FZ). Schedule 2 to the Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO2) Highway Environs Protection seeks to preserve the amenity of the road zone.
Schedule 3 to the Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO3) Channel and Reservoir Protection seeks to maintain and enhance the quality and supply irrigation and domestic water throughout the Wimmera region. There are no other Significant Landscape Overlays within the 3.5 km band around the solar project in any of the planning schemes.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 12
XURBAN The Western Victoria Landscape Assessment Study A draft of the Western Victoria Landscape Assessment Study (WVLAS) has been released. It is not a referral document as it is not referenced in either the Horsham Planning Scheme nor the Yarriambiack Planning Scheme.
The Draft WVLAS identifies the area of the Murra Warra Solar Project as within the Big Plains Landscape Character Type which is described as: The Big Plains (BP) is a highly productive landscape with a flat landform. There is limited remnant vegetation and boundless views are available across the plains to broad horizons that meet an even bigger sky.”
The location of the Murra Warra Solar Project (designated with a yellow star) and the surrounding character types are shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10 Solar project location within WVLAS (Draft)
Murra Warra Solar Project
The WVLAS (Draft) also identifies significant views and significant landscapes. These are shown in Figure 11.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 13
XURBAN
Figure 11 Significant views & significant landscapes (WVLAS)
Murra Warra Solar Project
The location of the Murra Warra Solar Project is designated by a red star in Figure 11. There are no designated significant landscapes within the viewshed of the solar project.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 14
XURBAN
6. Landscape units Landscape units are areas with similar visual characteristics in terms of topography geological features, soils, vegetation and land use. The areas surrounding the Murra Warra Solar Project are predominately cleared flat farmland, with existing infrastructure including roads, transmission lines, telecommunications towers, power lines as well as typical agricultural infrastructure including silos, farm sheds and houses.
Topography The Murra Warra Solar Project is located within the Wimmera district north of Horsham.
The area within the viewshed is very flat. The solar arrays are situated on land which gently falls to the north, the south-east corner of the arrays is at approximately 130 AHD and the northern boundary is at approximately 127 AHD. This is a grade of approximately 3 m in more than 2 km, a resultant grade of 1:70.
Vegetation Most the area within the viewshed is broad acre rural farmland with little remnant vegetation.
There is some vegetation along the Dimboola Minyip Road and in the north-eastern corner of the solar array site. This has been retained and there are no solar arrays in the area of existing vegetation.
Land use The dominant land use throughout the viewshed is farming. The land is predominately cleared for agricultural uses.
There are no townships within the viewshed.
Landscape Units Based on this analysist, a single landscape unit has been identified within the viewshed of the Murra Warra Solar Project. This is the Landscape Unit – Agricultural Land.
Landscape Unit 1 - Agricultural land
‘Landscape Unit 1 - Agricultural land’ describes the farmland areas within the viewshed. This may include some vegetation along road sides. These areas of vegetation are typical, although infrequent, within this farming landscape in the Wimmera.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 15
XURBAN Landscape & viewer sensitivity Landscape sensitivity is defined as the ability of a landscape to absorb change and the visual impact such a change may have on a viewer. The table below summarises the sensitivity of each of the landscape units.
Table 1 Landscape sensitivity
Landscape unit Sensitivity Rationale
Unit 1 – Agricultural land Low Agricultural land undergoes regular seasonal change (cropping, ploughing etc) and contains large scale vertical elements such as grain silos and transmission lines.
This sensitivity ratings will form part of the assessment in the following chapters of this report.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 16
XURBAN
7. Landscape & visual impact assessment
In order to undertake a landscape and visual assessment of the proposed Murra Warra Solar Project, viewpoints were selected from public roads around the sites of the solar arrays and the solar overhead collector system corridor.
The selected viewpoint locations are shown in Figure 12.
Figure 12 Viewpoint locations (Map source: Google Earth Pro)
Figure 12 shows the viewpoint locations. The Henty Highway (designated as B200 in Figure 12) is to the east of the solar arrays and the overhead collector corridor.
Table 2 show the location of each viewpoint and the distance and bearing to the nearest solar array and the overhead collector corridor.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 17
XURBAN
Table 2 Viewpoint locations
Viewpoint Location Distance to Distance to solar number nearest solar overhead array collector corridor
HIGHWAY VIEWPOINTS VP H1 Henty Highway #7, corner of Dimboola Minyip Rd 3.2 km 4.7 km VP H2 Henty Highway #6, corner of Old Minyip Rd 2.3 km 4.9 km
LOCAL ROAD VIEWPOINTS VP L1 Dimboola Minyip Rd 0.7 km 2.3 km VP L2 Old Minyip Rd 4.1 km 5.2 km
RESIDENTIAL VIEWPOINT H#161 Outside entry house #161 (2224 Dimboola Minyip 1.3 km 1.0 km Rd)
Each of these representative viewpoints is discussed and evaluated in the following sections.
Residential impact
A separate evaluation has been undertaken to assess the likely impact on nearby non- involved residential properties.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 18
XURBAN
8. Henty Highway Henty Highway runs connects Horsham in the south to Warracknabeal in the north. This section of the visual assessment will examine the visual impacts perceived by viewers traversing the region on the Henty Highways which is to the west of the solar project.
Viewpoint H1 – Henty Highway#1 Viewpoint H1, at the intersection of Dimboola Minyip Road is approximately 3.2 km east of the nearest solar array and 4.7 km from the solar overhead collector system corridor. The Dimboola Minyip Road is visible in the centre of Figure 13. This road runs along the northern edge of the solar arrays and will be crossed by the overhead lines in the solar overhead collector system corridor.
Figure 13 Viewpoint H1
At this distance, neither the solar array, nor the solar overhead collector system corridor will be a visible element in the landscape.
The overall visual impact is assessed as nil.
Recommendation The solar array proposed will sit within the project area of the Murra Warra Wind Farm. It may be of interest to travellers on the Henty Highway to see a commercial solar project, especially one situated within a wind farm.
It is recommended that a tourist sign be located on the Henty Highway, at the junction with Dimboola Minyip Road, to direct tourists to a viewing platform on the Dimboola Minyip Road that would enable viewers to understand the components of this solar project.
For many people, such a view may be a positive visual experience.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 19
XURBAN
Viewpoint H2 – Henty Highway#2 Viewpoint H2 is approximately 2.3 km from the nearest solar array and 4.9 km from the solar overhead collector system corridor. Viewpoint H2 is at the intersection of Old Minyip Road (heading west) and Davey’s Road (heading east). The Old Minyip Road is an un-made road visible in the centre of Figure 14.
Figure 14 Viewpoint H2
At this distance, neither the solar array, nor the solar overhead collector system corridor will be a visible element in the landscape.
The overall visual impact is assessed as nil.
The visual impact of the solar project on viewers on the Henty Highway
The Henty Highway is a major connector road running along the eastern edge of the solar project. Currently the main attraction for viewers using this road is provided by the vegetation within the Yarriambiack Creek corridor. Apart from this vegetation, the landscape is largely cleared, although occasional vegetation has been retained in the road reserve and some planting occasionally breaks up the broad acre farmland.
Given the scale of the proposed solar project at the distance the Henty Highway is from the solar project, ir will not be discernible by people passing by.
For these reasons the overall visual impact upon users of the Henty Highway is assessed as nil.
The other highways in the region are much further away and are not impacted by the solar project.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 20
XURBAN
9. Local roads Apart from the main roads and Highways, local roads also service the local communities. A range of viewpoints have been considered from these smaller un-made and made roads.
Viewpoint L1 – Dimboola Minyip Rd / Exells Road Viewpoint L1, is at a curve of the Dimboola Minyip Road where the unmade Exells Road parallels this section of the Dimboola Minyip Road. Viewpoint L1 is approximately 0.7 km east of the nearest solar array and 2.3 km from the solar overhead collector system corridor. The Dimboola Minyip Road is the asphalt road to the right of Figure 15. The gravel road a section of Exells Road, which parallels the Dimboola Minyip Road before heading south along the eastern boundary of the solar arrays. The vegetation in the centre of the photograph is on the north-eastern corner of the solar arrays site and will be retained.
Figure 15 Viewpoint L1 -looking south and west
Although the Dimboola Minyip Road passes near the solar project at this location, it is a road with only local traffic and in a landscape which can accommodate change. The solar arrays will be only 1m high behind and to the left of the existing vegetation. They may be apparent as a thin reflecting layer on the landscape.
The overall visual impact would be assessed as negligible.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 21
XURBAN
Viewpoint L2 – Old Minyip Road Viewpoint L2 is on Old Minyip Road immediately outside the Sailors Home Public Cemetery. Viewpoint L2 is approximately 4.1 km south west of the nearest solar array and 5.2 km from the solar overhead collector system corridor.
Figure 16 Old Minyip Road
The solar arrays would be located behind this viewpoint and to the right. A this distance the solar project would not be discernible and the overall visual impact would be assessed as nil.
The visual impact of the solar project on viewers on local roads
Local roads run through and around the proposed solar project but given the vertical scale of the proposed project and the fact that these are local roads with few users and cross a broad landscape. Therefore, the overall visual impact from local roads is assessed as negligible to nil.
The reasons include the low user numbers, the low sensitivity of the existing landscape and the extent of this Wimmera landscape, in which the solar project will not appear as a dominant element. It is the broad sweep of the existing plain which remains dominant.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 22
XURBAN
10. Residential impact Residential properties in the area are generally set within a landscaped setting. Wind breaks, hedgerows and gardens surrounding the house are common. These will, in most instances, provide some screening or filtering of views to the proposed solar project.
The closest residence to the solar facility is H61, which is approximately 500 m from the nearest solar panel. The visual impact of the facility from this distance would be negligible, if visible at all. This is a property that is involved in the project.
The closest non-involved residential; property is H38 which is approximately 800 m from the nearest solar panel. At this distance the visual impact would be negligible.
Residence H161 is approximately 1.4 km to the nearest solar panel and approximately 1.1 km to the battery storage shed. At these distances the solar facility would have no visual impact.
Therefore the overall visual impact on dwellings around the proposed solar facility would be assessed as negligible to nil.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 23
XURBAN
11. Conclusion The preceding analysis illustrates that the Murra Warra Solar Project is situated in a landscape that has a low sensitivity to change. It is a broad-acre rural landscape that has been cleared to create huge areas for farming. The Landscape Assessment Study refers to this landscape character type as ‘Big Plains’ and this is illustrative of its character. The flat topography and the extensive clearing has created a large landscape, a landscape which can easily accommodate the proposed solar project.
The Planning Schemes also reflect the very limited significance given to landscapes within the viewshed. Sensitive landscapes such as the Little Desert National Park, lie well outside the viewshed, whilst the Grampians and Arapiles are approximately 50 km distant. There would be no visual impact on these landscapes.
Areas of greater sensitivity and particularly urban areas, are all situated at some distance from the nearest solar array.
The greatest overall visual impact from publicly accessible locations, whether highways or local roads has been assessed as negligible. Negligible was defined in the Visual Impact Methodology (Chapter 3) as a “minute level of effect that is barely discernible over ordinary day-to-day effects.” This describes the impact of solar project in this Wimmera landscape.
However, it must be recognised that this proposed solar project sits within the Murra Warra Wind Farm and that the juxtaposition of a wind farm and a commercial solar system may be of interest to travellers on the Henty Highway. For this reason, it is recommended that a tourist sign be located on the corner of Old Minyip Road and the Henty Highway, signing directions to a viewing platform 3 km to the west. This viewing platform could enable viewers to look over the solar collector arrays and to provide information on these and the surrounding wind farm. This could provide a positive tourism experience for travellers along the Henty Highway.
Landscape & Visual Assessment 24