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 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:

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

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

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