26/07/2021 Version Number: 03 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS We value your honest feedback and opinions to ensure our project appropriately addresses local values and concerns. Feedback provided is being used to inform assessments and refine the Project design. This Frequently Asked Questions document will be used to respond to questions received about the project. This document will be updated over time to capture new questions. You can click on the following links to go to the question of direct interest to you: BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 4 What is the Project? .............................................................................................................. 4 Why is the Project being developed? ..................................................................................... 4 Who is Meridian Energy Australia? ........................................................................................ 4 Who is EPS? .......................................................................................................................... 5 What is the history of wind farms in the region and on the site? ........................................... 5 STATUS, TIMELINE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT .......................................................... 6 What is the Project status? .................................................................................................... 6 How far along is the Project in being approved and what is the Project timeline? .................. 6 Is the Project permanent? ..................................................................................................... 7 How will the community be engaged and provide input on the proposal? ............................. 7 Can the Project be modified over time without input by the community? ............................. 9 LOCATION ............................................................................................................................. 9 Where is the Project located?................................................................................................ 9 Why is the Project proposed to be located where it is? ....................................................... 10 Why isn’t the project closer to the points of delivery? ......................................................... 10 How close to small villages can the turbines reasonably be located? ................................... 10 Why isn’t the project ocean based, as public pressure has forced their location in Europe?. 11 Where will the batteries be located? ................................................................................... 12 Will the project generate greenhouse gas? .......................................................................... 12 RANGOON ENERGY PARK CONTACT EMAIL Rangoon Energy Park Pty Ltd PO Box 1639 [email protected] ABN: 94 628 009 889 Melbourne VIC 3001 https://meridianenergy.com.au/rangoonwindfarm/ 0483 193 310 TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE RANGOON WIND FARM ........................................................ 12 How do wind farms work? ................................................................................................... 12 Where will the wind turbines be built and what will they be manufactured from? .............. 12 What are the types of wind turbines under consideration? ................................................. 13 What is the proposed turbine height? ................................................................................. 13 What are the heights of the turbines used in other projects in the New England area? ....... 14 Why is the Project sometimes referred to as an ‘Energy Park’? ........................................... 14 What types of battery units will be considered? .................................................................. 14 What size will constitute an adequate battery bank? ........................................................... 14 When will the options be decided?...................................................................................... 14 BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................................. 14 How many jobs will be created, and will you source them locally? ...................................... 14 How else will the community benefit from the Project? ...................................................... 15 What is the subsidy for each turbine? ................................................................................. 15 Is there a benefit to supply or backup for the village? .......................................................... 16 Will the project have an impact on local Council rates? ....................................................... 16 What drives the project in terms of commercial viability? ................................................... 16 SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS.......................................... 17 How will pest animals be managed during the life of the Project? ....................................... 17 Will the project facilitate the spread of weeds? ................................................................... 17 How will the risk of bushfires be managed? ......................................................................... 17 How will the Rangoon Wind Farm affect my property value? .............................................. 18 Which roads will be utilised for Project traffic during the construction phase? .................... 18 What are electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and will they interrupt mobile, Internet, WiFi or television signals? ................................................................................................... 19 Do EMFs cause or contribute to health impacts? ................................................................. 19 Do wind farms make noise? What is the long-term effect of noise and sub-audible noise in the workplace and families’ living space, learning space and backyard/ playground? .... 20 Is there potential for bird and bat strike? ............................................................................ 22 Will the turbines have lights on them? ................................................................................ 22 Page 2 Will the turbines cause shadow flicker? ............................................................................... 23 What will the wind farm look like and will I be able to see it from my house, or from the villages of Ben Lomond and Glencoe? ................................................................................. 23 How will blasting for the site preparation impact on the bedrock, volcanic flumes, the water table, aquifers, spring water and bores? ................................................................. 24 What is the expected source of water for the concrete batching plants? Will it impact local aquifers? ................................................................................................................ 24 Will the project impact on dung beetle populations?........................................................... 24 How will koalas’ habitat and quoll habitats as well as that of other mammals, frogs, bats, insects (pollinators and dung beetles) be protected? .............................................. 24 Can education offered within a wind farm zone deliver the same educational outcomes for all students? ................................................................................................................ 26 Are aerial agriculture operators being considered? ............................................................. 26 What will be the impact of the project on agricultural land?................................................ 27 Will trees be impacted as a result of the project? ................................................................ 27 Will the land be re-zoned or re-classified? ........................................................................... 28 END OF LIFE / DECOMMISSIONING OF THE PROJECT .......................................................... 28 What are the end-of-life arrangements for the wind turbines and how are they disposed of? ............................................................................................................................... 28 Who will pay for decommissioning? .................................................................................... 28 Page 3 BACKGROUND What is the Project? Rangoon Wind Farm is a utility scale wind and battery storage plant with a proposed installed capacity of up to 130MW. The Project includes the following key components: Up to 24 wind turbines, each with three blades mounted on a tubular steel tower are proposed for the project. Assessment and design works are underway to determine the number, size and location of wind turbines and battery energy storage system; Two substations and transmission connections – linking the project to the existing TransGrid 132kV Armidale to Glen Innes transmission line and the Essential Energy 66kV Glen Innes to Guyra distribution line; Battery Energy Storage System – up to 100MW/400MWh to be located at one or either of the two project substations; and Associated infrastructure including equipment storage facilities, access tracks, permanent monitoring masts, laydown areas and construction compounds. The wind plus