Wind Prospect CWP Head of Development Ed Mounsey has supported Mid-Western Regional Council’s call for all interested people to make a submission on the Crudine Ridge Wind Farm environmental assessment.
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“During exhibition of the environmental assessment, everyone has an opportunity to have a say and we encourage positive and constructive comments,” he said.
However, Mr Mounsey said those inspecting the environmental assessment should take note of the potential benefits as well as impacts that are frequently the focus of media reports.
Mid-Western Regional Council has expressed concern over the effect of heavy traffic on narrow rural roads.
But Mr Mounsey said unlike other major projects, such as mines, which generate high volumes of daily traffic during operation, the wind farm would generate the heaviest traffic during the construction period, with only a few light vehicles regularly using the road when the project is in operation.
Mr Mounsey said heavy vehicles using the roads during construction would not be travelling at high speed and oversized loads would travel outside the major traffic periods and school bus hours.
“The road does not need to be of the same standard as mines require because there will not be constant activity to the site once construction is complete,” he said.
“With heavy vehicles, the weight is transferred over many axles so the impact on the road is less,” he said.
The environmental assessment report states Hill End Road, Windeyer Road/Pyramul Road and Aarons Pass Road (for the alternative northern access route) all have significant spare capacity.
It proposes that during peak traffic period such as concrete pours and delivery of wind farm components, escort vehicles and traffic management would be used.
Where vehicles would require the use of the full width of the road, roads would be temporarily closed for short periods.
A Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) would be prepared including scheduling of transport deliveries, letterbox drops along affected routes, and reinstating pre-existing road conditions after construction was complete.
The report concludes that “Crudine Ridge Wind Farm Project would not create an significant adverse impacts with respect to transport issues such as traffic operations, road capacity on the surrounding road network, site access and road safety. The management of heavy vehicle movements during construction would be appropriately covered by a CTMP to be prepared prior to construction starts, while the use of a specialised and licensed transport contractor would ensure the transport of oversize wind turbine components would be carried out in an appropriate manner”.
In relation to decommissioning of the site, the environmental assessment states that a decommissioning and rehabilitation plan would be prepared in consultation with landowners towards the end of the project life.
Mr Mounsey said Wind Prospect CWD would continue to liaise with council and the community about the proposal.
The first community consultative committee meeting for the project will be held on February 11.
