The Victorian Government has updated planning provisions and guidelines to require pre-and post-construction noise assessment audits for wind energy facilities (WEFs) i.e. windfarms. This change has occurred in response to the Independent Inquiry into the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and is intended to give the community, local government and industry more confidence about noise compliance for future WEFs.
What’s changed?
From 4 October 2018, new permit applicants for WEFs need to submit a statutory environmental audit of their pre-construction proposal. If the permit is issued and the WEF constructed, the applicant has 12 months to submit a post-construction audit for the facility
All new planning permit applications must include audits (conducted by EPA-appointed auditors) of predictive noise assessments (conducted by acoustic consultants) before a wind farm planning permit is granted.
Post-construction noise assessments also need to be subject to an audit conducted by an EPA-appointed auditor. The assessment and accompanying audit must be provided to the responsible authority.
The introduction of audits will provide greater assurance that noise assessments are high-quality and bring greater consistency through leveraging EPA’s oversight role over the audit process. The audits will also give the community, local government and industry increased assurance that WEFs are being designed and operated within relevant noise standards.
Noise audit reports will be publicly available on EPA’s website.
What will EPA’s role be?
Under the changes, EPA’s role will be to:
- appoint environmental auditors under Part IXD of the Environment Protection Act 1970 (read more about how auditors are appointed)
- quality assure selected audit reports, and
- publish all audit reports on the EPA website.
EPA has prepared guidance material to support the environmental auditors to conduct the audits of noise assessments.
Changes to policy
To implement the government response to the EPA Inquiry, amendments have been made to Clause 52.32 ‘Wind Energy Facility’ of the Victoria Planning Provisions and the Policy and Planning Guidelines for Development of Wind Energy Facilities in Victoria.
| |
Current (since January 2016) |
Post-October 2018 |
| Reviews and reports |
Auditor involvement |
EPA involvement |
Auditor involvement |
EPA involvement |
| Pre-construction noise assessment |
Non-statutory peer review |
No direct involvement |
Statutory environmental audit |
Quality-assure audits; publish audit reports on EPA website |
| Noise management plan |
Non-statutory peer review |
No direct involvement |
Non-statutory peer review |
No direct involvement |
| Post-construction noise assessment |
Non-statutory peer review |
No direct involvement |
Statutory environmental audit |
Quality-assure selected audit reports; publish audit reports on EPA website |
Existing facilities and applications in progress
The changes will only apply to permit applications decided after 4 October 2018.
Wind energy facility proponents who are in the process of preparing a permit application for a new facility will need to include an audit of the noise assessment as part of that application. The changes will not apply to existing WEFs. However, the audit process can be used for any existing wind energy facility on a voluntary basis.
Wind energy facility proponents who obtained a permit prior to 4 October 2018, but have not yet begun construction, will not be required to submit an audit of their post-construction noise assessments, or to retrospectively provide an audit of the pre-construction noise assessment.
Useful links
For more information or if you have any questions, contact EPA.