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.02 Revision Date Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by Version 2 13/12/2019 B. Poulton N. Graham-Higgs N. Graham-Higgs Version 2 15/01/2020 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 .............................................................................................................. 5 2.1. Location ................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.2. Site description ........................................................................................................................................ 7 2.3. The locality .............................................................................................................................................. 9 2.3.1. Nyngan ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3.2. Population demographics ........................................................................................................ 9 2.3.3. Climate ..................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3.4. Geology and vegetation ......................................................................................................... 10 3. The proposal ........................................................................................................................................ 11 3.1. Site selection ......................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2. Proposed works ..................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.1. Proposed infrastructure .......................................................................................................... 11 3.2.2. Construction, operation and decommissioning ...................................................................... 12 3.2.3. Capital investment ................................................................................................................. 12 3.2.4. Subdivision ............................................................................................................................. 12 4. Justification and alternatives ............................................................................................................. 13 4.1. Strategic justification.............................................................................................................................. 13 4.1.1. Technical feasibility ................................................................................................................ 13 4.1.2. Climate change ...................................................................................................................... 13 4.1.3. Electricity supply .................................................................................................................... 13 4.1.4. Socio-economic benefits ........................................................................................................ 14 4.1.5. Land use ................................................................................................................................ 14 4.1.6. Site suitability ......................................................................................................................... 14 4.2. Alternatives to the proposal ................................................................................................................... 16 4.2.1. Alternative sites ...................................................................................................................... 16 4.2.2. Alternative technologies ......................................................................................................... 16 4.2.3. The ‘do nothing’ alternative .................................................................................................... 16 5. Planning context .................................................................................................................................. 18 5.1. NSW legislation ..................................................................................................................................... 18 NGH Pty Ltd | 19-754 - Version 2 | i 5.1.1. Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 .............................................................. 18 5.1.2. Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 ....................................................................................... 19 5.1.3. Conveyancing Act 1919 ......................................................................................................... 20 5.1.4. Crown Land Management Act 2016 ...................................................................................... 20 5.1.5. Heritage Act 1977 .................................................................................................................. 20 5.1.6. National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 ..................................................................................... 20 5.1.7. Roads Act 1993...................................................................................................................... 20 5.1.8. Water Management Act 2000 ................................................................................................ 21 5.2. Commonwealth legislation .................................................................................................................... 21 5.2.1. Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ....................................... 21 5.2.2. Native Title Act 1993 .............................................................................................................. 22 5.3. Local Planning Instrument ..................................................................................................................... 22 5.3.1. Bogan Local Environmental Plan 2011 .................................................................................. 22 6. Community and stakeholder engagement ........................................................................................ 27 6.1. Engagement approach .......................................................................................................................... 27 6.2. Identified I&APs ..................................................................................................................................... 28 6.3. Engagement to date .............................................................................................................................. 31 7. Preliminary environmental assessment ........................................................................................... 33 7.1. Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 33 7.2. Assessment of key environmental issues ............................................................................................. 33 7.2.1. Biodiversity ............................................................................................................................. 33 7.2.2. Aboriginal heritage ................................................................................................................. 39 7.2.3. Visual amenity and landscape character ............................................................................... 40 7.2.4. Noise ...................................................................................................................................... 40 7.2.5. Watercourses and hydrology ................................................................................................. 43 7.3. Other environmental issues ................................................................................................................... 46 8. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 51 9. References ........................................................................................................................................... 52 Appendix A Consultation to date ................................................................................................................