Commercial-in-Confidence Volume 1 of 2 Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report VOLUME ONE March 2011 AECOM Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report Initial Assessment Report Coopers Gap Wind Farm Prepared for AGL Energy Limited Prepared by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd Level 8, 540 Wickham Street, PO Box 1307, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, Australia T +61 7 3553 2000 F +61 7 3553 2050 www.aecom.com ABN 20 093 846 925 In association with Hart Aviation, Garrad Hassan 23 March 2011 60162856 AECOM in Australia and New Zealand is certified to the latest version of ISO9001 and ISO14001. © 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. J:\Projects\60162856\8. Issued Docs\8.1 Reports\Coopers Gap Wind Farm IAR 23.3.11.docx Revision 0 - 23 March 2011 AECOM Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report Quality Information Document Initial Assessment Report Ref 60162856 Date 23 March 2011 Chris Cantwell, Carleen Bush, Deanna Bayliss, Carissa Free, John Wilson, Rhys Prepared by Brown, Flora Wehl, Ramola Yardi Reviewed by James Fjeldsoe Revision History Authorised Revision Revision Details Date Name/Position Signature A 18-Feb-2011 For AGL comment Cohan Drew Original Signed Project Manager 0 23-Mar-2011 For Public Comment Cohan Drew Project Manager J:\Projects\60162856\8. Issued Docs\8.1 Reports\Coopers Gap Wind Farm IAR 23.3.11.docx Revision 0 - 23 March 2011 AECOM Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report Table of Contents List of Abbreviations 11 Executive Summary i 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Project Outline 1 1.1.1 Overview 1 1.1.2 Key Project Considerations 1 1.1.3 Administrative Details 2 1.1.4 Proponent 2 1.1.5 Previous Project Stages 2 1.2 Project Objectives and Scope 3 1.2.1 Objectives of the Initial Assessment Report 3 1.2.2 Approach to Preparing the Initial Assessment Report 3 1.2.3 Structure of the Report 3 2.0 Project Description 5 2.1 Background 5 2.2 Proposed Layout 5 2.3 Wind Farm Specifications 5 2.3.1 Wind Turbines 5 2.3.2 Associated Infrastructure 6 2.4 Overview of Construction Methodology 6 2.4.1 Sequencing 6 2.4.2 Equipment and Machinery 7 2.5 Operation 7 2.6 Maintenance 7 2.7 Decommissioning and Rehabilitation 7 3.0 Community Infrastructure Designation 9 3.1 Background 9 3.2 Environmental Assessment and Consultation Procedures under the CID Guidelines 9 3.2.1 Step 1 – Preparation of Initial Assessment Report 11 3.2.2 Step 2 – Initial Consultation with Other Parties 11 3.2.3 Step 3 – Finalisation of Initial Assessment Report for Public Notification and Second Consultation with Stakeholders 11 3.2.4 Step 4 – Public Notification and Second Consultation with Other Parties 11 3.2.5 Step 5 – Preparation of Final Assessment Report for Minister 12 3.2.6 Step 6 – Forwarding of Final Assessment Report to the Minister to Proceed under the SP Act 12 3.2.7 Checklist of Relevant Matters to Assess Environmental Effects 12 3.3 Compliance of Study Process with CID Process 12 4.0 Legislative Framework 13 4.1 Relationship to Government Policy 13 4.1.1 International 13 4.1.2 Commonwealth 13 4.1.3 State 14 4.1.4 Regional and Local 14 4.2 Commonwealth Legislation 14 4.2.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 14 4.2.2 Native Title Act 1993 15 4.3 State Legislation 15 4.3.1 Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and Electricity Act 1994 15 4.4 Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines 19 5.0 Study Area Description and Site Selection 20 5.1 Environmental and Community Context 20 5.2 Site Selection 21 6.0 Community Engagement 22 6.1 Introduction and Approach 22 J:\Projects\60162856\8. Issued Docs\8.1 Reports\Coopers Gap Wind Farm IAR 23.3.11.docx Revision 0 - 23 March 2011 AECOM Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report 6.2 Community Engagement to Date 22 7.0 Potential Environmental Impacts and Recommended Mitigation Measures 23 8.0 Topography, Geology and Soils 24 8.1 Introduction and Approach 24 8.2 Description of Environmental Values 24 8.2.1 Topography 24 8.2.2 Geology 24 8.2.3 Soils 24 8.2.4 Contaminated Land 25 8.3 Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures 27 8.3.1 Topography 27 8.3.2 Geology 27 8.3.3 Soils 28 8.3.4 Contaminated Land 28 9.0 Surface Water 29 9.1 Introduction and Approach 29 9.2 Legislative Requirements and Policy 29 9.3 Description of Environmental Values 29 9.3.1 Burnett Catchment 29 9.3.2 Condamine Catchment 30 9.4 Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures 30 9.5 Conclusion 31 10.0 Flora and Fauna 32 10.1 Background 32 10.1.1 ERM Ecological Assessment Report 32 10.1.2 Limitations 33 10.2 Methods 33 10.2.1 Study Area 33 10.2.2 Desktop Assessment 33 10.2.3 Field Assessments 35 10.2.4 Analysis and Interpretation 36 10.3 Description of Ecological Environment 36 10.3.1 General Flora Description 36 10.3.2 EPBC Ecological Communities 38 10.3.3 Regional Ecosystems 39 10.3.4 High Value Regrowth 39 10.3.5 Threatened Flora 42 10.3.6 Declared Weeds 42 10.3.7 Threatened Fauna 43 10.3.8 Migratory Species 44 10.3.9 Bats 45 10.3.10 Other Fauna 47 10.4 Potential Impacts on Flora 48 10.4.1 Threatened Ecological Communities 48 10.4.2 Regional Ecosystems and High Value Regrowth 48 10.4.3 Threatened Flora 49 10.4.4 Erosion and Sedimentation 49 10.4.5 Fragmentation and Disturbance 50 10.4.6 Spread of Weeds 50 10.5 Potential Impacts on Fauna 50 10.5.1 Threatening Processes 50 10.5.2 Threatened Fauna 53 10.5.3 Migratory Species 53 10.5.4 Dispersive Species 54 10.5.5 Bats 54 10.5.6 Birds 55 10.6 Further studies 60 10.6.1 Flora 60 J:\Projects\60162856\8. Issued Docs\8.1 Reports\Coopers Gap Wind Farm IAR 23.3.11.docx Revision 0 - 23 March 2011 AECOM Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report 10.6.2 Fauna 60 10.7 Mitigation Measures and Recommendations 61 10.7.1 Vegetation Offsets 61 10.7.2 Specific Recommendations 61 11.0 Cultural Heritage 64 11.1 Introduction 64 11.1.1 Purpose of Assessment 64 11.1.2 Project Brief 64 11.2 Legislative Context 64 11.2.1 Cultural Heritage Legislation 64 11.2.2 Federal 64 11.2.3 State (Queensland) 65 11.2.4 Methodology 65 11.3 Stage 1 Register Search and Due Diligence 66 11.3.1 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage 66 11.3.2 Historic Heritage 67 11.4 Background Research 67 11.4.1 Thematic History 67 11.4.2 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage 67 11.4.3 The First Inhabitants 67 11.4.4 Exploiting, utilising and transforming the land 68 11.4.5 Exploring, surveying and mapping the land 69 11.4.6 Pastoral Activities 69 11.4.7 Exploiting Natural Resources 69 11.4.8 Moving Goods, People and Information 70 11.4.9 Cooranga North 71 11.4.10 Discussion 71 11.5 Site Survey and Results 71 11.5.1 Cultural Heritage Site Survey Overview 72 11.5.2 Ground Surface Visibility 72 11.6 Survey 72 11.6.1 Western Survey of Study Area 72 11.6.2 Eastern Survey of Study Area 75 11.6.3 Historic Cultural Heritage 78 11.7 Cultural Heritage and Landscape 78 11.7.1 Study Area 78 11.8 Heritage Assessment Recommendations 78 11.8.1 Aboriginal Cultural Heritage 78 11.8.2 Potential Historic Cultural Heritage 79 12.0 Land Use and Planning 80 12.1 Introduction and Approach 80 12.2 Existing Environment 80 12.2.1 Existing Land Use 80 12.2.2 Relevant Planning Instruments 80 12.3 Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures 91 12.4 Conclusion 91 13.0 Landscape and Visual Assessment 93 13.1 Introduction and Approach 93 13.1.1 Project Background 93 13.1.2 Approach 94 13.1.3 Key References 94 13.1.4 Clarification of the revised LVIA scope 95 13.2 Legislative context and standards 95 13.3 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 97 13.3.1 Project description and key sources of potential impact 97 13.3.2 Recommended mitigation measures 104 13.3.3 Landscape Assessment 107 13.4 Baseline Analysis and Residual Landscape Impact Assessment 110 J:\Projects\60162856\8. Issued Docs\8.1 Reports\Coopers Gap Wind Farm IAR 23.3.11.docx Revision 0 - 23 March 2011 AECOM Coopers Gap Wind Farm Initial Assessment Report 13.4.1 Study Area Context 110 13.4.2 Detailed Landscape Assessment 110 13.4.3 Summary Impacts on the Landscape Resource 119 13.5 Visual Assessment 119 13.5.1 Approach to defining the visual baseline 119 13.5.2 Preparations of Zone of Theoretical Visibility mapping 120 13.5.3 Preparation of photomontages 121 13.5.4 Approach to defining the visual impacts on residential properties 122 13.5.5 Approach to defining visual sensitivity, magnitude of change and the significance of change proposed 122 13.6 Baseline Analysis and Residual Visual Impact Assessment 126 13.6.1 Summary of anticipated impacts during construction / installation 146 13.6.2 Summary of anticipated impacts during decommissioning and restoration 146 13.7 Cumulative Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 147 13.7.1 Introduction 147 13.7.2 Assessment of Cumulative Impact 150 13.8 Conclusion 152 14.0 Noise and Vibration 158 14.1 Introduction