This document summarizes a presentation on ecological risk mitigation lessons learned from Australia's wind industry over the past 10 years. It discusses relevant legislation and policies, and provides three case studies: 1) Brolga breeding surveys where collaborative surveys provided robust data to inform guidelines, 2) The importance of fully assessing project footprints and buffers to avoid additional costs from further assessments or inability to modify designs, and 3) Ensuring approval conditions are informed by comprehensive ecological surveys and stakeholder engagement to reduce project risks and costs. The key lessons are to identify risks upfront through accurate assessments, allow flexibility, collaborate, communicate well, and ensure certainty to minimize costs and delays.

1. www.ehpartners.com.au 26 March 2015
Wind Industry Forum 2015
Aaron Organ and Clio Gates Foale
Ecology and Heritage Partners
Ecological Risk Mitigation for the Australian
Wind Industry - Lessons learnt over the past
10 years

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PresentationOutline
• Legislation and policy
• Case studies (issue and solutions)
– 1) Brolga breeding surveys
– 2) Ecological assessment – getting it right the first time
– 3) Approval conditions
• Take home messages

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Legislation and Policy
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
• Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
• Planning and Environment Act 1987
(Biodiversity Assessment Guidelines)
• EPBC Act Policy Statement 2.3: Wind
farm industry
• Interim Guidelines for the Assessment,
Avoidance, Mitigation and Offsetting of
Potential Windfarm Impacts on the
Victorian Brolga Population, 2011

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Case Study 1: Brolga Breeding Surveys
Issue
• Brolga is a State significant species (~600 birds) and occupies
habitat across a large geographical area
• Brolga habitat use changes temporally and spatially across the
landscape
• Wind farms (SW Vic) proposed in known areas of brolga
breeding and flocking habitat
• State Government (DSE) require an assessment of the
suitability and significant of habitat for Brolgas
• Need to assess the likely and potential impacts to Brolga and
associated habitats
• Identify mitigation measures

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Wetland Distribution across Victoria
SW Vic Brolga breeding area

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Brolga Nest

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Brolga Nests

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Case Study 1: Brolga Breeding Surveys
Key outcomes for the client and industry
• Two competing wind farm companies working collaboratively
(common requirement)
• Successfully acted as a mediator
• Shared costs for the surveys
• Consistent data collection which was endorsed by regulators
• Provided robust empirical data on the breeding habitat which
can now assist the industry
• Further refinement of Brolga guidelines

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Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment
Issue
• Adequately defining the development
footprint (turbines and infrastructure)
• Impact area includes:
– Turbines, roads, sub-stations, compounds
and facilities
– Transmission lines, underground cables
– Access roads for construction vehicles
– Road widening for site access
– Turning bays
– Set-down and stockpile areas
• If you are driving on it, digging it up or
storing stuff on it you are impacting it!
~10 passes
~50 passes

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Turbine
Access road
Study area
Turbine footprint:
approx. 20m
Study area at turbine
locations: approx.
100m diameter
Access road width:
approx. 10 - 20m
Study area along
access roads: approx.
40m wide
Study area buffer allows micrositing
of infrastructure within buffer area:
 the larger the buffer, the greater
the flexibility
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, footprint plus buffer
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Scenario 1: Assessment identifies
significant flora and fauna values.
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, footprint plus buffer
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Values are avoided through
infrastructure micro-siting within
the assessed area
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, footprint plus buffer
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Scenario 1: Assessment identifies
significant flora and fauna values.

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Scenario 2: Assessment identifies significant flora
and fauna values, but values cannot be avoided
through infrastructure micro-siting
• Biodiversity offsets under State policy
• Referral under federal EPBC Act
• Offsets for EPBC Act matters
• Time and money
• Avoidance is best – assess surrounding areas
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, footprint plus buffer
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Turbine
Access road
Study area
Can significant flora and fauna be
avoided with an alternative layout?
 Additional assessment
Landowner is being difficult,
shifting infrastructure to
neighbouring property.
 Additional assessment
Adding a turbine.
 Additional assessment
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, footprint plus buffer
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Compounded costs:
• Travel time and mileage
• Efficiency
• Amendments to reports and mapping

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Turbine
Access road
Study area
An assessment of the entire property gives
the complete picture, allowing full project
flexibility so that you can confidently make
necessary changes as the project evolves
over time.
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, entire property
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Turbine
Access road
Study area
An assessment of the entire property gives
the complete picture, allowing full project
flexibility so that you can confidently make
necessary changes as the project evolves
over time.
Realign infrastructure
Move infrastructure
Add infrastructure
Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, entire property
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“But the project is cost sensitive.
We don’t want to complete
unnecessary assessments.”

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Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, cost comparison
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Footprint plus buffer
• Costs:
• Initial assessment: $30,000
• Additional assessments: $7,000 + $6,500 + $5,500
• Total cost: $49,000.00
• Infrastructure location limited to assessed areas
• Uncertainty regarding legislative requirements – the full
picture will not be known until all assessments are complete
• Uncertainty regarding infrastructure changes outside buffer
Entire property
• Total cost: $45,000.00
• Cost savings in travel time, mileage, assessment efficiency,
amendments to reports and mapping
• Flexibility to modify infrastructure as required
• Reduced risk and increased certainty
• Gives confidence to Responsible Authority that impact
avoidance and minimisation has been demonstrated
• Ecological impacts are commonly the subject of objections
(VCAT, Planning Panels). The more rigorous your upfront
assessments, the better your response evidence will be
Assessment 1
$30,000
Assessment 2
$7,000
Assessment 3
$6,500
Assessment 4
$5,500

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Case Study 2: Ecological Assessment, importance of time
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• Time to completion
• Footprint plus additional assessments:
10 - 15 weeks
• Entire property: 4 - 6 weeks
• Targeted surveys are generally a
requirement for EPBC Act listed species.
• Specific timing for targeted surveys can
vary between species.
• If you miss the survey season you can:
• Wait until the next season.
• Assume presence to allow the EPBC Act
referral to progress. May end up with
stringent permit requirements.
Assessment 1
4-6 weeks
Assessment 2
2-3 weeks
Assessment 3
2-3 weeks
Assessment 4
2-3 weeks

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Case Study 2: EcologicalAssessment
Benefits for the client
• Assessing a broader area ultimately will:
• Allow flexibility
• Save time
• Save money
• Identify all areas of impact upfront
• Don’t forget local road widening and construction access!
• Allow plenty of time (up to 2 years) for:
• Preliminary ecological assessment
• Targeted flora and fauna surveys
• Commonwealth and State approvals

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Case Study 3: Approval Conditions
Issue
• Situations where project impacts are understated or
overstated
• Resulting in uninformed or unrealistic approval conditions
(precautionary principle applied by the regulators)
– Management plans (CEMP, CMP)
– Pre clearance surveys
– Bird and bat monitoring
– Significant species management
– Biodiversity offsets
– Reporting and compliance

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Striped Legless Lizard – Delma impar
Growling Grass Frog: October to March
Golden Sun Moth: October to early January
Striped Legless Lizard: lay tiles June,
check tiles September to December

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Spiny Rice-flower: April to August
Matted Flax-lily: October to December

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Case Study 3: Approval Conditions
1. Prior to any works commencing, surveys for Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian
Volcanic Plain (NTGVVP) and surveys for Spiny Rice-flower, Striped Legless Lizard and Golden
Sun Moth and their habitat must be undertaken in areas that will be disturbed by the
development of the wind farm and associated infrastructure
2. Prior to any works commencing, the person undertaking the action must submit to the
department for approval a plan identifying the siting and extent of NTGVVP to be impacted.
The approved plan must be implemented.
3. Prior to any works commencing, the person undertaking the action must submit to the
Department for approval a salvage and translocation plan for relocating Striped Legless
Lizard individuals disturbed during construction. The approved plan must be implemented.
4. If Spiny Rice-flower or Golden Sun Moth are identified in surveys undertaken in accordance
with Condition 1, the Department must be informed and the wind farm infrastructure
layout must be micro-sited to avoid these species and their habitat.
5. Micro-siting of infrastructure must be conducted on the advice of a qualified botanist and
zoologist and must be informed by the results of the pre-construction surveys required by
Condition 1. Prior to any works commencing, areas to be protected must be demarcated on
the ground using protective fencing to prevent access of construction machinery and
personnel and the deposition of any materials or waste.

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Case Study 3: Approval Conditions
Solution
• Collect sufficient ecological data and not assume presence of
threatened species
– Ensure vegetation surveys are undertaken comprehensively
– Appropriate targeted threatened species (season and duration)
• Liaise with the regulators (document discussions)
– Negotiate conditions with Department of the Environment and DELWP
– Negotiate offset options (Commonwealth and State)
• Community and stakeholder communication

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Lessons Learnt
Certainty
Time Cost
Project risks identified up-front
Adequate project planning
Robust technical assessments
Innovation
Communication
Collaboration
Accuracy

29. 29Photo courtesy of Luke Edwards, Canidae Pty Ltd. The dog’s name is ‘Rubble’

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Any questions?
Ecology and Heritage Partners
Natural and Cultural Heritage Consultants
Melbourne Geelong Brisbane Adelaide Canberra
Phone (03) 9377 0100
Visit our website for further information www.ehpartners.com.au