Mount Emerald Wind Farm Economic Impact Assessment RATCH-AUSTRALIA CORPORATION Final 30 October 2014 Mount Emerald Wind Farm - Economic Impact Assessment Mount Emerald Wind Farm Economic Baseline Project no: QE06742.001 Document title: Mount Emerald Wind Farm - Economic Impact Assessment Document no: R02 Revision: Final R2 Date: 30 October 2014 Client name: RATCH-AUSTRALIA Corporation Project manager: Annete Armstrong Author: David Cotterill, Paul Nidras, Ngcebo Gwebu File name: I:\QENV2\Projects\QE06742\Deliverables\Revised Report for submission 30 October 2014\MEWF Economic Impact Assessment Final_R2 with tracks.docx Jacobs Group (Australia) Pty Limited ABN 37 001 024 095 Brisbane (Cordelia St) PO Box 3848 South Brisbane QLD 4101 Australia T +61 8 8424 3800 F +61 8 8424 3810 www.jacobs.com COPYRIGHT: The concepts and information contained in this document are the property of Jacobs Group (Australia) Pty Limited. Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the written permission of Jacobs constitutes an infringement of copyright. Document history and status Revision Date Description By Review Approved Draft Rev 1 17/09/2014 Technical Review Darron Cook 18/09/2014 DCook Draft Rev 1 18/09/2014 Project Manager Review Annete 18/09/2014 AArmstrong Armstrong Draft Rev1 19/09/2014 Project Director Review Hunter 19/09/2014 HBrownscombe Brownscombe Final 15/10/14 Technical Review Sophie Rolls 15/10/2014 SRolls Final 16/10/14 Project Manager Review Annete 16/10/2014 AArmstrong Armstrong Revised 28/10/14 Technical Review David Cotterill 28/10/2014 DCotterill Revised 29/10/14 Project Manager Review Annete 29/10/2014 AArmstrong Armstrong Final R2 30/10/2014 Technical Review David Cotterill 30/10/2014 DCotterill i Mount Emerald Wind Farm - Economic Impact Assessment Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 Purpose of the report ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Report structure ............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 2. Policy/strategy context ............................................................................................................................. 7 3. Socio-economic baseline ......................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Study area ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Regional context and land use pattern ......................................................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Population and demography ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.1 Population ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.3.2 Family and household composition............................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.3 Housing ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.4 Socio-economic indices for areas (SEIFA) ................................................................................................................................... 14 3.3.5 Personal income ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4 Workforce participation and employment...................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4.1 Labour force and employment ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4.2 Industries of employment .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 3.5 Local business and industry.......................................................................................................................................................... 20 3.6 Social infrastructure ...................................................................................................................................................................... 22 4. Economic Impact Assessment .............................................................................................................. 24 4.1 Overview of IO modelling .............................................................................................................................................................. 24 4.1.1 Limitations ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 4.1.2 Application of the IO model ........................................................................................................................................................... 25 4.1.3 Modelling assumptions ................................................................................................................................................................. 25 4.2 Project expenditure ....................................................................................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Economic impacts ......................................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.1 Output impact ............................................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.2 Value added impact ...................................................................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.3 Household income impact............................................................................................................................................................. 31 4.3.4 Project employment ...................................................................................................................................................................... 31 4.3.5 Distribution of impacts................................................................................................................................................................... 32 5. Agricultural impacts ................................................................................................................................ 36 5.1 Pest management from local ecosystem related services ............................................................................................................ 36 5.1.1 Method .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 36 5.1.2 Analysis......................................................................................................................................................................................... 36 5.2 Agricultural impacts....................................................................................................................................................................... 37 5.2.1 Method of assessment .................................................................................................................................................................. 39 5.2.2 Potential impacts associated with terminating aerial spraying ...................................................................................................... 39 5.2.3 Potential impacts of terminating all farm operations ..................................................................................................................... 40 6. Business and social impacts ................................................................................................................. 42 6.1.1 Social infrastructure ...................................................................................................................................................................... 43 ii Mount Emerald Wind Farm - Economic Impact Assessment 6.1.2 Local amenity ................................................................................................................................................................................ 43 6.1.3 Businesses ..................................................................................................................................................................................