Environment Effects Statement and Planning Permit Applications
Wind Prospect has prepared the Environment Effects Statement (EES) and planning permit applications for the Willatook Wind Farm, seeking approval to develop a 59-turbine wind farm and battery storage facility in south-west Victoria.
The Willatook Wind Farm EES and planning permit applications are available for you to view or download from this page. The full set of documents is available in PDF format with the EES chapters also available in Word (DOCX) format.
Public exhibition of the EES and planning permit application was from Monday 4 July, 2022 and Friday 12 August 2022.
The Environment Effects Statement (EES)
How to navigate the EES – Download
EES summary document – PDF
Table of contents – PDF | Word
EES executive summary – PDF | Word
Abbreviations and glossary – PDF | Word
EES CHAPTERS
Chapter 1: Introduction – PDF | Word
Chapter 2: Project rationale – PDF | Word
Chapter 3: Legislation and policy framework – PDF | Word
Chapter 4: Project alternatives and design development – PDF | Word
Chapter 5: Project description – PDF | Word
Chapter 6: Stakeholder consultation – PDF | Word
Chapter 7: Assessment framework – PDF | Word
Chapter 8: Geoheritage – PDF | Word
Chapter 9: Groundwater – PDF | Word
Chapter 10: Surface water – PDF | Word
Chapter 11: Brolga – PDF | Word
Chapter 12: Biodiversity and habitat – PDF | Word
Chapter 13: Noise and vibration – PDF | Word
Chapter 14: Landscape and visual – PDF | Word
Chapter 15: Traffic and transport – PDF | Word
Chapter 16: Land use and planning – PDF | Word
Chapter 17: Socio-economic – PDF | Word
Chapter 18: Aboriginal cultural heritage – PDF | Word
Chapter 19: Historic cultural heritage – PDF | Word
Chapter 20: Air quality – PDF | Word
Chapter 21: Shadow flicker and blade glint – PDF | Word
Chapter 22: Electromagnetic interference – PDF | Word
Chapter 23: Aviation – PDF | Word
Chapter 24: Cumulative effects – PDF | Word
Chapter 25: Matter of National Environmental Significance – PDF | Word
Chapter 26: Environmental management framework – PDF | Word
Chapter 27: Conclusion – PDF | Word
Chapter 28: References – PDF | Word
TECHNICAL APPENDICES
Appendix A Geoheritage – PDF
Appendix B Hydrology and hydrogeology – PDF
Appendix C1 Brolga – PDF
Appendix C2 Ecological peer review – PDF
Appendix D Biodiversity – PDF
Appendix E1 Noise and vibration – PDF
Appendix E2 Pre-construction noise assessment report verification – PDF
Appendix E3 Noise peer review – PDF
Appendix E4 Quarry blasting – PDF
Appendix F1 Landscape and visual – PDF
Appendix F2 Landscape and visual peer review – PDF
Appendix G Traffic and transport – PDF
Appendix H Land use and planning – PDF
Appendix I Economic and social – PDF
Appendix J Aboriginal cultural heritage – PDF
Appendix K Historical heritage – PDF
Appendix L Air quality – PDF
Appendix M Shadow flicker – PDF
Appendix N Electromagnetic interference – PDF
Appendix O Aviation – PDF
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 EES Consultation Plan – PDF
Attachment 2 Preliminary Draft Quarry Work Plan – PDF
Attachment 3 Map Book – PDF
Attachment 4 Neighbour Benefit Sharing Program – PDF
Planning permit applications
Under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 the Minister for Planning is the Responsible Authority for all large energy generation facilities and utility installations, which includes wind farms. Two planning permit applications have been submitted to the Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning and are available for you to view or download from this page.
WIND FARM PLANNING PERMIT APPLICATION (PA2201620)
Application form – PDF
Planning application report – PDF
Appendix A Map book – PDF
Appendix C Aboriginal cultural heritage – PDF
Appendix D Historical heritage – PDF
Appendix E Economic and social – PDF
Appendix F Traffic and transport – PDF
Appendix G Hydrology and hydrogeology – PDF
Appendix H Environmental Management Framework – PDF
Appendix I Community engagement summary – PDF
Appendix J Noise and vibration – PDF
Appendix K Landscape and visual – PDF
Appendix L Shadow flicker – PDF
Appendix M Electromagnetic interference – PDF
Appendix N Air quality – PDF
Appendix O Aviation – PDF
Appendix P Biodiversity – PDF
Appendix Q Brolga – PDF
Appendix R Neighbour benefit sharing program – PDF
PLANNING PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF NATIVE VEGETATION FOR THE OVER DIMENSIONAL TRANSPORT ROUTE (PA22065)
Application form – PDF
Planning application report – PDF
Submissions
The EES and planning permit applications were placed on public exhibition for 30 business between 4 July and 12 August and were available for public comment.
The submission process for the EES is independently managed by Planning Panels Victoria (PPV). Only one submission on the EES is needed to address all your views about the project, its effects, and the relevant documents.
Submissions on the EES were collected by Planning Panels Victoria. Submissions on the planning permit applications were separately collected by the Minister for Planning who is the responsible authority.
Directions Hearing
The Inquiry and Panel held a Directions Hearing at 10.00am on Friday, 2 September 2022 online by video conference using Zoom.
Hearing
A panel hearing was conducted between 11 October and 7 November. This provided an opportunity for those who made submissions on the EES or planning applications to be heard at the hearing. Following conclusion of the hearing, the inquiry will submit its report to the Minister to inform the Minister’s assessment for the project.
The Minister for Planning will conclude the EES process by issuing a written assessment of the project’s environmental impacts under the EE Act.
The minister’s assessment is not an approval in its own right however will recommend whether the project’s environmental effects are acceptable and may set out modifications or further management measures that the Minister thinks are appropriate.
For more information, visit the Victorian Government’s engagement website:
https://engage.vic.gov.au/willatook-wind-farm-inquiry/
59 wind turbines
1,300 GWh annual output
Big battery 200MW/400MWh
Short connection to existing transmission network