Traffic Impact Assessment
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Murra Warra Solar Farm RES Australia 07-Feb-2017 Murra Warra Solar Farm Traffic Impact Assessment 07-Feb-2017 Prepared for – RES Australia – ABN: 55 106 637 754 AECOM Murra Warra Solar Farm Traffic Impact Assessment Commercial-in-Confidence Traffic Impact Assessment Murra Warra Solar Farm Client: RES Australia ABN: 55 106 637 754 Prepared by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd Level 10, Tower Two, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3008, Australia T +61 3 9653 1234 F +61 3 9654 7117 www.aecom.com ABN 20 093 846 925 07-Feb-2017 Job No.: 60516612 AECOM in Australia and New Zealand is certified to ISO9001, ISO14001 AS/NZS4801 and OHSAS18001. © AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (AECOM). All rights reserved. AECOM has prepared this document for the sole use of the Client and for a specific purpose, each as expressly stated in the document. No other party should rely on this document without the prior written consent of AECOM. AECOM undertakes no duty, nor accepts any responsibility, to any third party who may rely upon or use this document. This document has been prepared based on the Client’s description of its requirements and AECOM’s experience, having regard to assumptions that AECOM can reasonably be expected to make in accordance with sound professional principles. AECOM may also have relied upon information provided by the Client and other third parties to prepare this document, some of which may not have been verified. Subject to the above conditions, this document may be transmitted, reproduced or disseminated only in its entirety. 07-Feb-2017 Prepared for – RES Australia – ABN: 55 106 637 754 AECOM Murra Warra Solar Farm Traffic Impact Assessment Commercial-in-Confidence Quality Information Document Traffic Impact Assessment Ref 60516612 Date 07-Feb-2017 Prepared by Dean Hislop Reviewed by Catherine Vick Revision History Authorised Revision Revision Details Date Name/Position Signature A 10-Nov- Draft Report Frank Jaskiewicz 2016 Associate Director B 07-Feb- Final Report Frank Jaskiewicz 2017 Associate Director 07-Feb-2017 Prepared for – RES Australia – ABN: 55 106 637 754 AECOM Murra Warra Solar Farm Traffic Impact Assessment Commercial-in-Confidence Table of Contents Executive summary 1 1.0 Project description 1 2.0 Introduction 2 2.1 Background 2 2.2 Study objectives 2 2.3 Stakeholder consultation 2 2.4 References 2 3.0 Background documentation and policy review 3 3.1 Background document review 3 3.1.1 Murra Warra Wind Farm Traffic Impact Assessment – 2016 (Cardno) 3 3.1.2 Murra Warra Wind Farm Preliminary Traffic and Transport Assessment Report - 2016 (RES Australia) 3 3.1.3 Murra Warra Wind Farm: Flora and Fauna Inspection of Transport Route Intersections – 2016 (Biosis) 3 3.1.4 Horsham Rural City Council Integrated Transport Strategy – 2016 3 3.1.5 Horsham Rural City Council Road Register – 2015 4 3.1.6 Horsham Rural City Council Road Management Plan – 2014 4 3.1.7 VicRoads Heavy Vehicle Maps – 2016 (VicRoads) 4 3.1.8 Yarriambiack Shire Council Road Hierarchy, Version 8 – 2014 4 3.2 Policy and regulatory requirements review 5 4.0 Existing conditions 6 4.1 Location 6 4.2 Local road network 7 4.3 Existing traffic conditions 7 5.0 Proposed project 7 5.1 Overview 7 5.2 Traffic development during construction 10 6.0 Vehicle access and traffic impact 12 6.1 Vehicle access 12 6.2 Traffic impact 13 6.3 Intermodal option 14 7.0 Cumulative Solar and Wind Farm impacts 15 8.0 Proposed mitigation measures 15 9.0 Recommended operational conditions 16 9.1 Vulnerable road users 16 10.0 Summary 17 10.1 Findings 17 07-Feb-2017 Prepared for – RES Australia – ABN: 55 106 637 754 AECOM Murra Warra Solar Farm 1 Traffic Impact Assessment Commercial-in-Confidence Executive summary The Murra Warra Solar Farm is a solar facility of up to 235MW providing 220kV power. It is estimated to generate 53,053 vehicle trips over the 18 month period of construction which corresponds to an average of 115 vehicle trips per day, broken into 94 light vehicle trips and 21 heavy vehicle movements. Access to the development area will be provided by Dimboola-Minyip Road and Ailsa Wheat Road via either the Henty Highway or Stawell-Warracknabeal Road. Individually, this project will have minimum impact of the surround traffic and road network. If built in conjunction with the adjacent proposed wind farm, Dimboola-Minyip Road may need to be widened west of the Henty Highway to allow passing manoeuvres, while the unsealed Ailsa Wheat Road may also need widening and restoration works post construction to return its previous condition. A large portion (over 80%) of trips are also estimated to be light vehicles, while the majority of movements to and from the development area will be truck and dog, semi-trailer and other standard articulated vehicles with two RAV trips to follow the appropriate route identified from the Port to development area. Additional RAV trips for the transportation of transformers will not be required as the Solar Farm will utilise the Murra Warra Wind Farm transformers. An intermodal option for delivery utilising rail to the terminal in Dooen has also been identified although may not always be suitable. Contractors responsible for transport of oversized components will prepare a Traffic Management Plan for the movement of these components from the port of disembarkation to the development area to the satisfaction of Council and VicRoads prior to the movement being undertaken. Operational traffic will be predominantly light vehicle movements to and from the development area via the Henty Highway with infrequent heavy vehicles required for maintenance. 1.0 Project description The project will consist of either a fixed array Solar PV facility of up to 235MW AC or tracker arrays of up to 150MW AC. The arrays consist of approximately 900,000 1mx2mx0.05m PV panels mounted on steel or aluminum 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 seven metre wide graded tracks across the development area 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 development area. Power from the panels will be inverted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and then transformed to 33kV and fed back to a central collector point located in the northwest of the development area close to the location of the control building and maintenance facilities. Power will then be carried along a double circuit overhead line by poles spaced approximately every 200 metres. The line runs north then west (2km in total) of the solar farm to the development area 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 33kV to 220kV transformer. The project will also include an Energy Storage Facility of approximately 300MW rated capacity which will be provided by banks of Lithium-Ion Batteries. These will be housed in a purpose built building. The project may include some stock proof fencing of up to two metres in height and CCTV camera depending on the Solar Farms Insurance requirements. There will be up to three temporary construction compounds across the development area which will house laydown areas, offices etc. These facilities will be removed once work has been completed and the land rehabilitated. 07-Feb-2017 Prepared for – RES Australia – ABN: 55 106 637 754 AECOM Murra Warra Solar Farm 2 Traffic Impact Assessment Commercial-in-Confidence 2.0 Introduction AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (AECOM) have been commissioned by RES Australia to produce a Traffic Impact Study (TIA) to consider, plan for and mitigate traffic and transport issues during the construction of the proposed Murra Warra Solar Farm. Before commencing construction activities a TMP is required to assess, plan for and mitigate any unnecessary traffic impacts associated with the movement of people and goods to / from and around the development area. 2.1 Background The Murra Warra Solar Farm (MWSF) is proposed to consist of approximately 900,000 solar panels and associated infrastructure to be located in the land bounded by Ailsa Wheat Road, Dimboola- Minyip Road, Excells Road and an unnamed road to the south (see Figure 3). The development area is to be adjacent to the proposed wind farm which is understood to have a planning permit pending with the responsible authorities. A Traffic Management Plan previously prepared by Cardno in July 2016 has been used as the basis for the preparation of this report, and this report allows for the construction of both projects concurrently. This Traffic Impact Assessment is specifically for the solar farm, although it does take into consideration the possibility of overlapping construction periods with the adjacent wind farm. This assessment has also been undertaken for the fixed array of up to 235MW option, which would present the worst case transport impacts. 2.2 Study objectives The objectives of this Traffic Impact Assessment are as follows: Provide a safe environment for all persons working on, and traffic travelling along, roads Minimise impact of the works required for the solar farm on the road network and adjacent landowners / occupiers Minimise delays to bus services (and where possible, give priority to public transport), and minimise interference with people’s ability to access buses Cater for the needs of all road users Communicate the arrangements for, and impacts of, any activities affecting traffic.