PROJECT OVERVIEW
Water
A surface water assessment has been completed which confirms that the site is not at risk of flooding from the River Murray. However, the site contains several low-lying areas that are subject to inundation. These areas will be used as water storages with shallow swales to be installed to direct runoff to these storages in order to constrain runoff to pre-development levels. The layout of solar panels has been designed to accomodate the water storage areas and swales to prevent any off-site flooding impacts.
Vegetation
The site contains some important stands of native vegetation that will be retained and protected during construction and operation of the proposed solar farm. Clearance of some native vegetation will be required to accommodate the solar panels with a suitable Significant Environmental Benefit to offset this clearance to be negotiated with the Native Vegetation Council.
Traffic
A traffic assessment for the project recommends that access to the site occur via Goyder Highway with a new access point to be constructed from an existing road reserve on the south-west corner of the site. Both the route proposed to be utilised during construction and new access point will be reviewed by the Mid Murray Council and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) as part of the development application assessment.
Aboriginal Heritage
Under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988, we are required to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the solar farm development has no adverse impact on Aboriginal cultural heritage. A desktop study and risk assessment of the site has been completed, indicating that there are no listed items of cultural heritage significance on the site and there is, as a result, a very low risk of project works encountering Aboriginal heritage items.
Off-site impacts
The operation of the solar farm and BESS will not disturb activities on adjacent land or the wider locality. By their very nature, solar farms and BESS facilities are quite benign in terms of their off-site impacts and are highly unlikely to cause any nuisance associated with way of noise, dust, fumes or glare.
Grid connection
A substation will be constructed as part of the solar farm and is to be located adjacent the existing high voltage transmission line to minimise the need for additional overhead lines to connect into the grid. Green Gold Energy has obtained approval from the Office of the Technical Regulator for the project.