Environmental Assessment: Proposed Wind Farm, Cullerin NSW 7 ASSESSMENT OF KEY ISSUES 7.1 Scoping and prioritisation of issues Recent reforms to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and associated planning instruments provide for the consolidated assessment of major projects, including wind farms involving more than $30 million in capital investment. The reforms also provide for improvements to efficiency in the assessment and approval process, by allowing assessments to focus on key ‘moderate to high priority’ issues. Moderate to high priority issues are those with the potential to produce significant environmental or human impacts. Lower priority issues are those which can be demonstrated to be manageable using established practices and mitigation measures. Using best practice and adaptive management approaches these issues are not likely to cause unacceptable environmental or human impacts. Where uncertainty or high levels of risk exist, issues are allocated to the moderate to high priority category. Moderate to high priority issues have been identified by an extensive review of experiences and research at existing wind farms in Australia and overseas, and consultation with landholders, the general public, government agencies and experts. In particular, the issues scoping process drew on the results of an Open House and questionnaire public consultation process held Gunning on 17 November 2005 (refer section 6.2), and a Planning Focus Meeting involving state and local government representatives held at the subject site on 10 November 2005 (refer section 6.3). A Project Application indicating the issues to be addressed in the EA and their priority for assessment was accepted by the Department of Planning on 7 December 2005. The proposal indicates a range of options regarding turbine size and capacity in order to maintain flexibility in product selection and finescale design. Where this would affect the type or intensity of impacts, the assessment in the EA has been based on the option with greatest potential negative impact. Similarly, the description of positive benefits would be based on the option with least potential benefits. Table 7.1 summarises the final categorisation of key issues, investigation strategies employed and where they are evaluated within this document. Issues of lesser priority are discussed in Section 8. Final 97 nghenvironmental Environmental Assessment: Proposed Wind Farm, Cullerin NSW Table 7.1 Categorisation of key impact areas related to the proposal Issue Strategy Refer to: Visual amenity Investigation via visual assessment Section 7.2 involving community consultation. (specialist report attached in full, Attachment 3.1) Noise (operational) Investigation via noise assessment Section 7.3 including modelling and mapping. (specialist report attached in full, Attachment 3.2) Community Investigation via community Sections 7.4.1 consultation and research. Economic benefit Desktop investigation and liaison with Section 7.4.2 local contractors. Land values Investigation via land value study and Section 7.4.3 literature review. (specialist report attached in full, Attachment 3.6) Aboriginal archaeology Investigation via archaeological Section 7.5 assessment including desktop (specialist report attached in full, literature review and onsite field work. Attachment 3.3) Biodiversity Investigation via biodiversity Section 7.6 assessment including desktop (specialist report attached in full, literature review and onsite field work. Attachment 3.4) Land use Investigation of agricultural, tourism Section 7.7 and lifestyle landuses via literature review. Services and Investigation via consultation with the Section 7.8 infrastructure Upper Lachlan Council, the Road and Traffic Authority (RTA), telecom providers, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Air Services Australia. Bushfire Liaison with the RFS and research. Section 7.9 Cumulative impacts Investigation using the results of the Section 7.10 specialist reports, assessments of other issues and research. Removal of Guided by the Upper Lachlan DCP for Section 7.11 infrastructure wind farms and DoP Statement of commitments database and research. Final 98 nghenvironmental Environmental Assessment: Proposed Wind Farm, Cullerin NSW 7.2 Visual impact Scenic Landscape Architecture completed the Visual Assessment of the proposed Cullerin Range wind farm. A draft of this report was peer reviewed by Inspiring Places (J. DeGryse) and comments pertaining to the methodology and information sources were included in the final report to increase the rigour of the assessment. The following information was extracted from the final report to summarise the methodology, results and recommendations of the Visual Assessment (full report attached, Attachment 3.1). Existing environment The method used to determine the visual impacts has been adapted from the Windfarms and Landscape Values, a report commissioned by Australian Wind Energy Association and the National Trust (Planisphere 2005), and from the Bureau of Land Management in the United States, known as the BLM method. The latter method identifies methodologies for assessing and documenting landscape values, significance and sensitivities. This visual assessment has been completed by the: • Review of existing literature; • Review of topographical maps and aerial photographs; • Review of photomontage visualisations; • Review of shadow flicker analysis; • Review of zone of visual influence map; • Visiting the site and adjacent areas; and • Using the community open house workshop (held on November 17, 2005, detailed in Section 6.2 of this EA) to document the community’s and stakeholder’s values of the landscape setting in the local and regional area. The visual assessment ultimately identifies the visual impact that the proposed wind farm will have on various viewpoints in the surrounding landscape. This is done by: • Categorising the landscape into character types and uses, and describing those types; • Identifying the landscape quality through the assessment of the scenic quality. The scenic quality of the site is described and measured as the visual appeal or value of the landscape as determined by scarcity or uniqueness of landscape, landscape type, natural features, vegetation and water within each landscape character site; • Identifying important views to the wind turbines and associated infrastructure from surrounding areas including roads, farms, neighbouring residences and towns; • Identifying the type of user in the surrounding areas, duration of exposure and dominance of exposure. This component determines the visual sensitivity of views to the wind farm; • Identifying the distance from viewpoints to the site; • Identifying the degree of change introduced by the project and subsequent contrast to the existing landscape; and • Determining the ability of the landscape to absorb the proposed changes. Visual characteristics of the wind farm The visual characteristics of a wind farm include the physical form of a wind farm and its potential visual effects within a landscape and to surrounding users of the landscape, as outlined in Table 7.2 (drawn from Planisphere 2005 and modified as necessary to be applicable to the Cullerin Range proposal). Final 99 nghenvironmental Environmental Assessment: Proposed Wind Farm, Cullerin NSW Table 7.2 Visual characteristics of the wind farm Characteristics Effect Examples of responses Scale of development – Change of landscape character Majestic or dominant – depending height and numbers of Eye catching on perceived perception of turbines landscape and user High visibility from short to long distances Contrast to the horizon and ridgelines Effects to cultural heritage values Loss of cultural heritage Form of development Eye catching Majestic or dominant – depending Change of landscape character on perceived perception of landscape and user Movement of turbines Sun glint and shadow flicker Distracting Eye catching Relaxing or irritating Colour of towers and blades Level of contrast to surrounding Intrusive or integrated landscape Location and layout in Change of landscape character Majestic or dominant – depending landscape on perceived perception of landscape and user Change visual appeal of Loss, change or gain of visual landscape features Layout of towers– cumulative Dramatic, harmonious or effect of grouping etc dominant Location of substation Change in landscape character Dominant or non intrusive Potential change in visual appeal Loss or change Location of power lines and Change in landscape character – Dominant or non intrusive easements structures and clearing of trees Potential change in visual appeal Loss or change Public perception of wind farms When wind farms are proposed, there is a usually some concern by the public over the likely visual impact. By their very nature wind farms are highly visible being usually sited on ridges and hilltops where the wind flow is greatest (Meridian Energy 2005). But visual impact does not necessarily mean a negative impact, as is largely assumed. It is apparent that the beliefs of the individual are the major determinant of whether a wind farm will be viewed favourably or not: “The key premise underlying the visual assessment is that visual impacts of the wind farm are largely determined by the perception of viewers to wind farms and wind energy per se.” Department’s assessment report for the Crookwell wind farm, DIPNR (2004b, p25). And that: “.… even if the facts are not in dispute, a perceptual gulf defined by