Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3. Rehabilitation of injured birds and bats
Objectives
: To rehabilitate any native birds or bats injured following a collision
with a wind turbine, with the intention of re-releasing them to the wild.
Duration
: 10 years - throughout
Methods and results
: Injured birds or bats were taken to the approved local
Veterinary Practice for treatment. If the eagle was determined by Veterinary
personnel (and following discussions with the Manager of the Threatened
Species Section, DPIPWE) that it had a reasonable chance of surviving and
being rehabilitated, it would be sent to a fl ight aviary to recover prior to re-
release. No eagles found alive have been deemed suitable for rehabilitation
due to the extent of their injuries. One injured bat was assessed by a Veterinary
Practice and re-released.
4. Eagle nest buffers
Objectives
: To minimize disturbance to breeding eagles
Duration
: Life of the project
Methods and results
: A buffer of 500 m between wind turbines and active nests
was instituted during the design phase of the wind farms and remains in place.
The buffers are based on the prescriptions of the Forest Practices Authority
(see Forest Practices Authority
2009
). See Hull et al. (
2014
) .
5. Reactive shutdowns
Objectives
: Pausing of a wind turbine to prevent a possible eagle collision.
Duration
: Approximately 3 years
Methods
: Observers documented movements of eagles at the wind farms and
triggered the pausing of a turbine when they thought an eagle was at risk of a
collision. The methodology evolved over time, but the fi nal design enabled
observers to access the operating system of the turbines via laptops.
6. Minimising eagle food resources on site
Objectives
: To reduce eagle foraging activity around the turbines to reduce colli-
sion risk.
Duration
: Life of the project
Methods
: No lambing or calving allowed within 500 m of wind turbines (docu-
mented in the grazing license for the sites, agreed with licensee to no lambing
or calving on the wind farm site). Any dead, sick or injured sheep, cattle or
native wildlife found on site removed immediately. Rabbit control program in
place. Wallaby control program in place (run by the grazing licensee).
7. OBP weed management
Objectives
: To reduce potential OBP food species (weeds, there is no OBP habi-
tat around the turbines to reduce the attractiveness of the site).
Duration
: Life of the project
Methods
: Surveys are conducted for specifi c OBP food weed species. Weeds
sprayed once they occur above a specifi ed threshold.
