Modification Application — Tilt Renewables

Consultation

We undertook community consultation drop-in sessions in both Coolah and Cassilis between 24 - 26 October 2023, to discuss our plans to construct and operate a temporary workforce accommodation (TWA) facility and temporary Project-specific quarry during the construction phase of the Project.

We would like to thank both the Cassilis and Coolah communities for attending the sessions and providing feedback.

Temporary Workforce Accommodation

Following a review of submissions received during public exhibition and further technical investigations, we are aware that there is a substantial shortage of short- and long-term rental accommodation in the local area that could be used by the construction workforce. The peak construction workforce for the Project is expected to reach around 550 workers and construction is expected to occur over a 4-year period. To reduce pressure on existing rental accommodation we are proposing to construct and operate a TWA facility close to the Project site.

We investigated over twenty potential locations for a TWA in and around Coolah and Cassilis townships, however many of the sites had significant environmental or social constraints and did not warrant further consideration. Through this investigation process, we short-listed two potential TWA sites, and based on community feedback and consultation outcomes, we have proceeded with the site located approximately 3 km east of Coolah township.

Amongst other reasons, this site was selected due to its negligible environmental constraints and central locality within the Project site boundary to minimise commute times for construction staff travelling to and from work fronts. The siting of the TWA Facility has sought to ensure suitable buffer distances from local townships to minimise social, noise and traffic impacts to residents as far as practicable.

Tilt Renewables has undertaken a suite of technical impact assessments to identify potential impacts associated with the TWA. Some of the potential impacts related to TWAs include:

Possible disturbances to the nearby community in terms of noise or increased traffic.
Potential impacts on the environment of the chosen site and its surroundings.
Social impacts associated with community wellbeing, access to essential services, health and safety, and security.

More detailed information on the findings of these impact assessments, including possible mitigation measures, is available in the fact sheet below and at the Coolah Shopfront (50 Binnia Street). This information has been available since October 2023.

Community consultation fact sheet - Temporary Workforce Accommodation

Photomontages - Coolah

The amendment to the Modification Application to include the TWA Facility was placed on public exhibition by DPHI from 31 January 2024 until 13 February 2024. Submissions on this amendment were received from the public and government agencies. A Submissions Report was then prepared to address the key issues raised in community submissions and agency advice received during the public exhibition period.

The Submissions Report is available to download and view here. Appendices to the Submissions Report are also available on the Major Projects website at this link (scroll down under the Response to Submissions section until you find ‘Submissions Report – TWA’).

Key changes to the Project

In response to agency and community submissions received during public exhibition of the Modification Application, we have made a number of key changes to the design and layout of the Project, which are:

A further reduction in the number of proposed wind turbines from 220 to 185.
A reduction in the maximum blade tip height from 250 m to 215 m above ground level (AGL).
We have now selected the Vestas V172 7.2 MW turbine, which has a blade length of 85 m. This equates to a rotor diameter of 172 m. We had previously assumed a rotor diameter of approximately 210 m.
Removal of five turbines that were proposed by the Mod-1 Project in the north-east of the site near Coolah Tops National Park, to minimise visibility from Pinnacle Lookout and reduce potential noise impacts within the National Park.
Amendment to the External Transmission Line alignment to completely avoid a portion of Durridgere State Conservation Area, near Turill.
Shifted three turbines (D40, D43 and E31) to avoid impacts to a communications link proposed by the NSW Telecommunications Authority (NSW Telco).
Reduced area of Development Corridor from 12,601.6 ha to 8,718.2 ha due to design changes, including removal of turbines and associated access tracks, and implementing steeper cut and fill batters where feasible.
Removal of Coolah Road from the Project such that no light, heavy or over-size/over-mass (OSOM) vehicles would be permitted to use Coolah Road during construction.
Reduction in total number of site access points from 90 to 74.
Removed optional locations for various infrastructure, such as duplicate access track site entrances and associated access track alignments, and substation locations.
Inclusion of the Temporary Project-specific Workforce Accommodation (TWA) Facility.

The modifications also reflect the outcomes of substantial design optimisation work and constructability assessments carried out to prepare the Project for construction.

Biodiversity offsets

We have made significant progress on securing a range of land-based biodiversity offsets and are on-track to meet the RTS Project’s biodiversity offset credit obligation prior to commencement of construction. One of the offset sites is located in one of two Mapped Important Habitat Areas for Regent Honeyeater (RHE) in NSW and once established, will create a new 18 km long continuous habitat corridor for a range of species, including the RHE, that will be secured into perpetuity.

We are working closely with NSW Biodiversity, Conservation and Science (BCS) Directorate and landholders to prepare all of the application documentation required to register these new sites to offset the unavoidable impacts associated with the Project. Notwithstanding this, we will continue to look for opportunities to reduce the Project’s disturbance footprint as we progress through the detailed design process and into construction.

Project information material

Fact Sheets

The following fact sheet summarises the changes proposed in the RTS Project:

Project Summary

The fact sheets below contain information about how the RTS Project is different from the Approved Project, and how the changes would affect the environment and how they can be managed.

Please note that you can find hard copies of these fact sheets in our Coolah Shopfront (50 Binnia St, Coolah).

Maps

Click the following link to access an interactive map of the RTS Project:

Liverpool Range Wind Farm

Please note that you can also find large format prints of the following maps, in our Coolah Shopfront (50 Binnia St, Coolah).

Photomontages

Please click the following links to view a selection of photomontages of the RTS Project, prepared for various viewpoints around the Project site. Please note that you can also find large format prints of a selection of these in our Coolah Shopfront (50 Binnia St, Coolah).

These visualisations superimpose turbines on photographs from key public and private viewpoints. They provide a guide as to how the turbines could look from these points.

Map of photomontage locations:

Photomontage locations

List of photomontages:

Photomontage list

Photomontage 01 Corner Rotherwood Road & Coolah Roads

PM01 - Corner Rotherwood Road & Coolah Roads

Photomontage 02 Rotherwood Road

PM02 - Rotherwood Road

Photomontage 03 Yarrawonga Road 1

PM03 - Yarrawonga Road 1

Photomontage 04 Yarrawonga Road 2

PM04 - Yarrawonga Road 2