Managing Impacts

White Rock Wind Farm is committed to ensuring the responsible and compliant implementation of the project throughout the construction, operations and decommissioning phases. This commitment addresses the social and environmental impacts of the project through the application of:

specific management plans
targeted procedures and processes
consultation with local community and government agencies
ongoing review and monitoring to ensure
- achievement of the required performance objectives
- compliance with the project approval and environment protection licence
- identification of any areas requiring improved management, and
- corrective measures as applicable.

Potential social and environmental impacts has been comprehensively assessed. The planning approval sets out conditions for the project. Our management system includes a broad range of measures to mitigate potential impacts and ensure compliance with all approval conditions.

Our environmental management is incorporated into all aspects of the Project’s delivery. Environmental processes and systems will be regularly reviewed to ensure responsible implementation of the project.

Key elements of our environmental management system include:

employee awareness training and site inductions
site specific procedures, guidelines and reporting framework
pre-construction Compliance Report
Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) and subplans
Pre-Operations Compliance Report
Operation Environmental Management Plan (OEMP), and
specific management plans required by the project approval.

The CEMP and OEMP are required to be approved by NSW Department of Planning and Environment prior to the project commencing the respective construction and operation phases.

Staging Plan

Condition B11 states that the proponent may elect to construct and/or operate the project in stages. The Condition previously required that where staging is proposed, that a Staging Report be submitted setting out the details of staging and how the Conditions of Approval apply to each stage. A Staging Report was submitted in October 2015 and as the Project Approval was modified prior to construction on 01 April 2016, the Staging Report was updated at that time.

Condition B11 has been varied (MOD 4) and a Staging Report is no longer required. However, for continuity and clarity it has been maintained. The updated White Rock Wind Farm Staging Report prior to commencement of Stage 1 Operations phase can be found here.

Notification for Commencement of Construction

As required by Condition D5 of the Project Approval, White Rock Wind Farm Pty Ltd, on 28 April 2016, provided notification to the Department of Planning and Environment of its intention to commence construction from May 2016. The Notification letter can be found here. The letter also advised that an update of the approved CEMP and Pre-Construction Compliance Report would be supplied separately

Compliance Tracking Program

White Rock Wind Farm Pty Ltd has prepared a Compliance Tracking Program (CTP) to track compliance with requirements of the Project Approval. The CTP has been submitted to DPIE and approval was obtained in December 2015. The CTP comprises two parts; a description of procedures and, a matrix recording status of compliance with Conditions of Approval. The Matrix is updated regularly and the updated Matrix is submitted to DPIE on a quarterly basis during construction extended to annually during operations. Links to the Procedures and the Matrix are provided below:

Compliance Tracking Program – Procedure

Pre-Construction Compliance Report

On 29 April 2016, White Rock Wind Farm Pty Ltd submitted the White Rock Wind Farm Stage 1 Pre-Construction Compliance Report that is required by Condition D5 of the Project Approval. The White Rock Wind Farm Stage 1 Pre-Construction Compliance Report can be found here.

Construction Environment Management Plan

On 11 December 2015, the Department of Planning and Environment approved the Stage 1 Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) for White Rock Wind Farm. The approval letter for the December 2015 version of the Stage 1 Construction Environment Management Plan can be found here.

Prior to construction commencing, the WRWF Stage 1 CEMP has been updated to address the modified Project Approval and minor changes to the project layout. The updated Stage 1 CEMP was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment on 29 April 2016. The Department has advised that the construction works should be undertaken in accordance with the update of the approved CEMP. The CEMP can be found here.

Annexes for the CEMP

Notification for the Commencement of Operation

As required by Condition D5 of the Project Approval, White Rock Wind Farm Pty Ltd, on 31 January 2018, provided notification to the Department of Planning and Environment of its intention to commence operation from as early as 02 February 2018. The Notification letter can be found here. The letter also provided a copy of the Pre-Operation Compliance Report (see below) and advised that operations would be in accordance with the Operation Environment Management Plan (OEMP). Confirmation of the commencement of operations was provided in letter of 19 March 2018 and can be found here.

Pre-Operation Compliance Report

On 31 January 2018, White Rock Wind Farm Pty Ltd submitted the White Rock Wind Farm Stage 1 Pre-Operation Compliance Report that is required by Condition D5 of the Project Approval. The White Rock Wind Farm Stage 1 Pre-Operation Compliance Report can be found here.

Operation Environmental Management Plan

The Stage 1 Operation Environmental Management Plan (OEMP) was approved by the Department of Planning and Environment on 14 September 2017. The approval letter can be found here. The OEMP addresses requirements of Condition F19 of the Project Approval. The OEMP can be found here.

Design and Landscape Plan

The Design and Landscaping Plan for White Rock Wind Farm is required by Condition C30 of the Project Approval. On 6 March 2018, the Department of Planning and Environment approved an updated Design and Landscape Plan (updated to address visual considerations of the as-built project infrastructure). The approval letter can be found here. The White Rock Wind Farm Design and Landscape Plan can be found here.

Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan

The Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan is required by Condition G10 of the Project Approval. The Plan addresses the logistical and commercial arrangements for decommissioning of the Wind Farm at completion of operation of any turbine that becomes non-operational for more than 12 months. The Plan has been approved by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. The White Rock Wind Farm Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan can be found here.

Other Management Plans

The Project Approval also includes requirements for other management plans to be prepared for the project and Condition D4 requires plans prepared under the Project Approval to be provided on the website. Some of the plans are currently being reviewed by NSW DPIE or relevant NSW Government Agencies. Other plans relating to the operational stage of the project will be provided as the project progresses to the relevant phase.

Bird and Bat Adaptive Management Program

This Program is required by Condition C6 of the Project Approval.

The Program has been prepared by the expert approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. It has undergone review by NSW Department of Planning, Industry and NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and following additional surveys and updates of drafts of the Program, the Program has been approved by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, see approval here.

The White Rock Wind Farm Bird and Bat Adaptive Management Plan (BBAMP) can be found here.

Monitoring under the BBAMP has commenced. The fist annual report was submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and NSW Office of Environment and Heritage in May 2019, see here.

Biodiversity Offset Package

Pollution Incident Response Management Plan

Noise Compliance Monitoring Report

Condition F9(c) of the Project Approval requires that the Proponent undertake noise monitoring within 3 months of the commissioning of the wind farm, or other timing as may be agreed by the Secretary, to determine whether the project is complying with relevant conditions of the approval.

Operational noise monitoring has been undertaken and the results reported to NSW DPIE and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The Noise Compliance Testing report can be found here and has been accepted by DPIE and EPA.

EPA has advised satisfaction of the EPL 20665 Condition E2 – ‘Noise Compliance Monitoring following Commissioning’ The EPA response of 11 February 2019 can be found here.