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Mt Emerald Wind Farm
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  • The Project
  • Community
  • Construction
  • Compliance
  • News
  • Contact

About…

Mount Emerald Wind Farm

The 2,400 hectare site for Mount Emerald Wind Farm was chosen as it has excellent wind conditions, is close to the existing electricity network and has relatively few homes nearby.

Following detailed environmental studies, development approval for Mount Emerald Wind Farm was granted in 2015.

Although the approval allows up to 63 turbines to be built, only 53 have been installed. This enabled turbines to be located away from quoll habitats and for some to be removed from prominent ridgelines to minimise visual and cultural heritage effects while still allowing the wind farm to generate a significant quantity of much-needed renewable electricity.

The project also includes:

  • 35km of new site roads – needed to bring the turbines onto site from Cairns, for maintenance access during their working lives, as well as when the turbines are decommissioned
  • New substation to connect the power generated by the turbines to the local National Electricity Market
  • Control room for operations and maintenance staff

Environmental Approval Documents

Before approval for the project could be granted, detailed studies were conducted into the wind farm’s effects on the local environment. These were carried out by technical experts and specialists in a range of disciplines.

Reports from these studies formed the Environmental Impact Statement which accompanied the development application for the project and can be viewed or downloaded below.

EIS MEWF Submissions Report
Vol 1
Vol 2
Vol 3 – App. 1 – EPBC Referral
Vol 3 – App. 2 – MEWF EIS Guidelines
Vol 3 – App. 3 – Referral Agency Response
Vol 3 – App. 4 – Economic Impact Report
Vol 3 – App. 4a – MEWF Economic Impact Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 5 – Mt Emerald Wind Resource and Energy Yield Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 6 – Visual Impact Assessment Sect 01-05
Vol 3 – App. 6 – Visual Impact Assessment Sect 06-09
Vol 3 – App. 6 – Visual Impact Assessment Sect 10 Part 1
Vol 3 – App. 6 – Visual Impact Assessment Sect 10 Part 2
Vol 3 – App. 6 – Visual Impact Assessment Sect 10 Part 3
Vol 3 – App. 6 – Visual Impact Assessment Sect 11 -16
Vol 3 – App. 7 – Mt Emerald Wind Farm – Noise Impact Assessment Appendices
Vol 3 – App. 7a – Mt Emerald Wind Farm – Noise Impact Assessment – EIS Submissions
Vol 3 – App. 8 – Traffic Impact Assessment Report
Vol 3 – App. 8a – Traffic Impact Assessment – Technical Note
Vol 3 – App. 8b – Traffic Impact Assessment – Technical Note 2
Vol 3 – App. 8c – Traffic Impact Assessment – Technical Note 3
Vol 3 – App. 9 – Stakeholder Consultation Program
Vol 3 – App. 9 – Stakeholder Consultation Program Appendix B Part 1
Vol 3 – App. 9 – Stakeholder Consultation Program Appendix B Part 2
Vol 3 – App. 9 – Stakeholder Consultation Program Appendix C
Vol 3 – App. 10 – Cultural Heritage Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 10a – Non-Indigenous Cultural Heritage Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 11 – Geotechnical Investigation
Vol 3 – App. 12 – EPBC Act Protected Matters Report and Wildlife Online
Vol 3 – App. 13 – Fauna Survey Summary and Ecological Assessment Report
Vol 3 – App. 14 – MEWF – Threatened Fauna Species Desktop Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 15 – Mount Emeraald Wind Farm – Camera Trapping Results
Vol 3 – App. 16 – MEWF Flora Report Append A-C
Vol 3 – App. 16 – MEWF Flora Report Append D-F
Vol 3 – App. 16 – MEWF Flora Report Append G-I
Vol 3 – App. 16 – MEWF Flora Report
Vol 3 – App. 17 – Population Viability Analysis of Northern Quoll populations in FNQ
Vol 3 – App. 18 – Distribution and abundance of the Northern Quoll in FNQ
Vol 3 – App. 19 – MEWF – EIS – Dasyurus hallucatus Habitat Utilisation Study
Vol 3 – App. 20 – Fauna Vegetation and Flora Assessment – Proposed MEWF
Vol 3 – App. 21 – Dasyurus hallucatus Population Genetics Final Report
Vol 3 – App. 22 – Preliminary detection dog survey for Northern Quoll on Mt Emerald Mareeba QLD
Vol 3 – App. 23 – MEWF Turbine collision risk assessment
Vol 3 – App. 24 – MEWF – Microchiropteran Bat Ultrasonic Call Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 25 – MEWF – An Assessment of Utilisation Patterns of Spectacled Flyingfox
Vol 3 – App. 26 – Innovative technology for assessing wildlife collisions with wind turbines
Vol 3 – App. 27 – MEWF Aeronautical Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 28 – MEWF – Electromagnetic Interference Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 29 – MEWF Fire Management Plan
Vol 3 – App. 30 – MEWF Shadow Flicker Assessment
Vol 3 – App. 31 – Desk Study for Potential Historic Unexploded Ordnance Contamination
Vol 3 – App. 32 – DNRM Concurrent Agency Response to UXO Potential
Vol 3 – App. 33 – Preliminary Environmental Management Plan
Vol 3 – App. 33a – Pest Management Plan
Vol 3 – App. 34 – MEWF EPBC Offsets Assessment Guide
Vol 3 – App. 35 – MEWF Draft Offset Area Management Plan
Vol 3 – App. 36 – RACL Environmental Record
Vol 3 – App. 36a – Environmental History – Port Bajool
Vol 3 – App. 37 – Statement of Commitments
Executive Summary

Development Application Approval Documents

Development Approval conditions have been developed by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments after review of the EIS submitted in 2015.

  • DA Approval Conditions

Ongoing environmental monitoring, during and after construction, will ensure compliance to approval conditions and the commitments made by RATCH Australia to protect the area and its environmental and social values. To complement these measures, a large offset block has been purchased by RATCH Australia Corporation immediately adjacent to the site and permanently protected as part of the Approval process.

The Offset Block is chosen to protect an area much larger than the area likely to be disturbed during construction of the wind farm. It is chosen according to defined criteria, including that it has similar vegetation and habitat to the area to be impacted by construction of the turbine pads and access roads; and can provide an alternative habitat for fauna during and after construction. The area will be protected into the future to maintain its integrity as an undisturbed area of similar land to the wind farm site.

Other DA documentation, available for download:

Turbine locations and development footprint 2
Site Area with property boundaries
Adjacent Land Uses
Regional Context Map
Receptor Locations
Noise Impact Assessment
Landscape Visual Impact Assessment
Trueview Photosimulations
DTM Simulations
Access Road Visual Simulation
Shadow Flicker Assessment MAP
MEWF Economic Impact Report
MEWF Substation General Arrangement
Discussions with MSF Sugar
Traffic Impact Assessment
Access Road Design
Internal Roads
Aviation TRC and ASA
Atherton Tableland Air Service
SunWater – Partial Surrender of Perpetual Lease
Preliminary EMP
NHRMC Media Release
Referral Agency DNRM Letter to MEWF
2 year Data Verification Report for tower 9530
2 year Data Verification Report for tower 9531
MEWF – Response to Information Request

Project Newsletters

MEWF Newsletter September 2018
5th December 2018
MEWF Newsletter August 2018
5th December 2018
MEWF Newsletter May 2018
17th July 2018
MEWF November 2017 Newsletter
30th November 2017
MEWF October 2017 Newsletter
16th October 2017

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Community

Local Procurement

Local procurement has commenced, with: • Koppens and Mareeba Crane Hire constructing the concrete culvert to protect the irrigation channel during December 2016. • A new vehicle purchased from Mareeba Toyota, January 2017 • Contracting of the MBarBarrum Aboriginal Corporation to undertake Cultural Heritage surveys and assist with environmental surveys during the entire construction period.…

3rd March 2017

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Project and Compliance Updates

Feb 2017: Letters of Consent received from Government to begin

Early works commenced February 14th on the transport depot laydown area at the base of the site. All pre-start UXO, Cultural Heritage and Environmental surveys have been conducted to verify the site is ‘ready to go’. Flagging of works area has occurred to limit the extent of clearing, in preparation for pad establishment. Letters of…

3rd March 2017

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www.ratchaustralia.com


Contact details for RATCH-Australia offices:

Brisbane Office: 07 3214 3400

Address: PO Box 12833, George Street Qld 4003



Sydney Office: 02 8913 9400

Address: PO Box 1058, North Sydney NSW 2059




24 hour community call line: 1800 280 013

Project email address: info@mtemeraldwindfarm.com.au

Project mailing address: PO Box 1058, North Sydney NSW 2060

Mt Emerald Wind Farm. 2016 (c)