Silverton Wind Farm

Client: General Electric and CATCON
Location: Broken Hill, NSW
Date: 2017 – current

Services provided

• Management plan preparation to meet conditions of consent
• Bird and bat utilisation surveys
• Vegetation and weed monitoring
• Threatened species and community recovery plans
• Threatened reptile surveys

Background

Biosis worked closely with General Electric and CATCON from the pre-construction stages to the operation phase of the Silverton Wind Farm in the Barrier Ranges of far western New South Wales. 

This 58-turbine wind farm was the the first time the GE 3.4MW WTG had been erected in Australia. This project presented unique challenges and was required to meet a number of strict planning and environmental consent conditions.

Biosis worked with the project team to prepare biodiversity and wildlife management plans to allow construction to proceed in 2017. We maintained involvement during construction and operation; assisting with management plan implementation and assessing the impacts on the local environment and wildlife.

Outcome

Biosis has prepared and assisted in implementing and reporting on a series of management plans that fall under the whole of project Biodiversity Adaptive Management Plan (BAMP). These plans guide the monitoring of bird and bat impacts from turbine collisions, assist in the recovery of threatened vegetation and species on the site, and guide general land management (weeds and goats). The suite of plans was prepared to meet a set of complex approval conditions which allowed construction to commence in 2017 and then site commissioning in late 2020. 

Biosis was able to navigate the complex approval conditions and continues to work successfully with the project team and government regulators.