July 31, 2012
Australia, Impacts

Development Assessment Report: Stony Gap Wind Farm

Council Development Assessment Panel, Regional Council of Goyder (South Australia)

Proposal: Wind farm (Stony Gap), comprising 41 turbines (Vestas V90-3MW or similar up to 3.4MW; tower heght would be up to 85 metres and blade length up to 56 metres; overall height of turbines would be up to 145 metres at the blade tip), two permanent 80 metre high wind monitoring towers, five temporary 100 metre high wind monitoring towers for a period of six months, three year extension to existing temporary wind monitoring towers, on-site electrical substation and control rom, 276kV transmission line for approximately 25 kilometres from the on-site substation to the Robertstown substation, on-site access tracks (5.0 to 6.0 metres in width; total length of track is approximately 30 kilometres of which approximately 8.0 kilometres will be upgrades of existing farm tracks) and series of 33kV electrical cables linking turbines to the on-site substation (total length of cabling is approximately 50 kilometres).

Summary of Submissions: There are a number of similar issues raised in the submissions, including:

form of development:

• appropriateness of location;
• industrial nature of wind farms;
• loss of agricultural production;
• impacts on aerial applications; and
• interface between land uses;

planning policies and procedures:

• Development Plan policies restricting those notified;
• consistency with Ministerial Statewide Wind Farm Development Plan Amendment and
• Goyder Council Development Plan (DPA); and
• consistency with Mid North Regional Land Use Framework;

environmental impacts:

• impacts on flora and fauna;
• vegetation clearance;
• need for EPBC assessment;
• impacts on ground water;
• potential for soil erosion;
• question the net benefit from energy generated and emission reduction; and
• benefits of wind farms in energy generation;

visual impact;

impact of turbines:

• impact of transmission line; and
• landscape and heritage value of area;

noise impact:

• proximity to non-stakeholder dwelling;
• issue of tonality;
• issue of infrasound; and
• questions of adequacy of acoustic assessment;

social impacts:

• division of the community;
• health impacts;
• impacts on long term farming families;
• impact on Burra, Mawson Trail and tourist routes;
• impacts on heritage properties and landscape qualities of heritage areas; and
• concerns regarding inclusion of land in stakeholder agreements;

shadow flicker;

blade glint and blade throw;

road infrastructure;

bushfire hazard;

• fire potential from turbines;
• impacts on aerial bushfire support; and
• interference with CFS communication;

property values;

telecommunication interference;

decommissioning; and

cumulative impacts of wind farms.

Download document: “Stony Gap Development Assessment Report” ^[1]

Download document: “Stony Gap – Attachments 1-4” ^[2]

Attachment 1: Map of Proposed Development
Attachment 2: Ownership Details of Subject Land
Attachment 3: Development Plan Provisions
Attachment 4: Letter from Truenergy

Download document: “Stony Gap – Attachment 5” ^[3]

Attachment 5: The Acoustic Group – Peer Review of Noise Impact Assessment

For Attachments 6 to 19, go to: www.goyder.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=163 ^[4]

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/documents/development-assessment-report-stony-gap-wind-farm/

URLs in this post:

[1] Download document: “Stony Gap Development Assessment Report”: https://docs.wind-watch.org/Stony-Gap-Development-Assessment-Report.pdf

[2] Download document: “Stony Gap – Attachments 1-4”: https://docs.wind-watch.org/Stony-Gap-Attachments-1-4.pdf

[3] Download document: “Stony Gap – Attachment 5”: https://docs.wind-watch.org/Stony-Gap-Attachment-5.pdf

[4] www.goyder.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=163: http://www.goyder.sa.gov.au/page.aspx?u=163

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