SCOPING REPORT Yarren Hut Solar Farm December 2019 Project Number: 19-754 Scoping Report Yarren Hut Solar Farm DOCUMENT VERIFICATION Project Title: Yarren Hut Solar Farm Project Number: 19-754 Project File Name: 19-754 Yarren Hut SF Scoping Report V.01 Revision Date Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by Version 1 13/12/2019 B. Poulton N. Graham-Higgs N. Graham-Higgs NGH Consulting prints all documents on environmentally sustainable paper including paper made from bagasse (a by-product of sugar production) or recycled paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Proposal overview ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. This Report .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3. BayWa R.e. ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Development site description .............................................................................................................. 1 2.1. Location ................................................................................................................................................... 1 2.2. Site description ........................................................................................................................................ 1 2.3. The locality .............................................................................................................................................. 2 2.3.1. Nyngan ..................................................................................................................................... 2 2.3.2. Population demographics ........................................................................................................ 2 2.3.3. Climate ..................................................................................................................................... 2 2.3.4. Geology and vegetation ........................................................................................................... 3 3. The proposal .......................................................................................................................................... 4 3.1. Site selection ........................................................................................................................................... 4 3.2. Proposed works ....................................................................................................................................... 4 3.2.1. Proposed infrastructure ............................................................................................................ 4 3.2.2. Construction, operation and decommissioning ........................................................................ 5 3.2.3. Capital investment ................................................................................................................... 5 3.2.4. Subdivision ............................................................................................................................... 5 4. Justification and alternatives ............................................................................................................... 6 4.1. Strategic justification................................................................................................................................ 6 4.1.1. Technical feasibility .................................................................................................................. 6 4.1.2. Climate change ........................................................................................................................ 6 4.1.3. Electricity supply ...................................................................................................................... 6 4.1.4. Socio-economic benefits .......................................................................................................... 7 4.1.5. Land use .................................................................................................................................. 7 4.1.6. Site suitability ........................................................................................................................... 7 4.2. Alternatives to the proposal ..................................................................................................................... 9 4.2.1. Alternative sites ........................................................................................................................ 9 4.2.2. Alternative technologies ......................................................................................................... 10 4.2.3. The ‘do nothing’ alternative .................................................................................................... 10 5. Planning context .................................................................................................................................. 11 5.1. NSW legislation ..................................................................................................................................... 11 NGH Pty Ltd | 19-754 - Version 1 | i 5.1.1. Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 .............................................................. 11 5.1.2. Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 ....................................................................................... 12 5.1.3. Conveyancing Act 1919 ......................................................................................................... 13 5.1.4. Crown Land Management Act 2016 ...................................................................................... 13 5.1.5. Heritage Act 1977 .................................................................................................................. 13 5.1.6. National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 ..................................................................................... 13 5.1.7. Roads Act 1993...................................................................................................................... 14 5.1.8. Water Management Act 2000 ................................................................................................ 14 5.2. Commonwealth legislation .................................................................................................................... 14 5.2.1. Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ....................................... 14 5.2.2. Native Title Act 1993 .............................................................................................................. 15 5.3. Local Planning Instrument ..................................................................................................................... 16 5.3.1. Bogan Local Environmental Plan 2011 .................................................................................. 16 6. Community and stakeholder engagement ........................................................................................ 20 6.1. Engagement approach .......................................................................................................................... 20 6.2. Identified I&APs ..................................................................................................................................... 21 6.3. Engagement to date .............................................................................................................................. 24 7. Preliminary environmental assessment ........................................................................................... 26 7.1. Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 26 7.2. Assessment of key environmental issues ............................................................................................. 26 7.2.1. Biodiversity ............................................................................................................................. 26 7.2.2. Aboriginal heritage ................................................................................................................. 32 7.2.3. Visual amenity and landscape character ............................................................................... 33 7.2.4. Noise ...................................................................................................................................... 34 7.2.5. Watercourses and hydrology ................................................................................................. 36 7.3. Other environmental issues ................................................................................................................... 39 8. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 44 9. References ........................................................................................................................................... 45 Appendix A Nyngan resident flyer ..............................................................................................................