Referral Business Entry Point, EIA Policy Section (EPBC Act)
Approvals and Wildlife Division
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
email: epbc.referrals@environment.gov.au

 

Dear Sir/Madam

Rye Park Wind Farm  Reference number: 2014/7163

Friends of Grasslands (FOG) is a community group dedicated to the conservation of natural temperate grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. FOG advocates, educates and advises on matters to do with the conservation of grassy ecosystems, and carries out surveys and other on-ground work. FOG is based in Canberra and its members include professional scientists, landowners, land managers and interested members of the public.

While FOG would prefer no impact at all on endangered box-gum woodland and dependent species, we note that the proposed wind farm at Rye Park has been sited to minimise impact on these endangered communities and species following extensive biological assessment, and that connectivity issues have been considered. FOG supports both construction and ongoing mitigation measures in the referral. It also supports further work to identify the extent of striped legless lizard and golden sun moth populations within the construction envelope. If the populations of these species, particularly the striped legless lizard, are likely to be further impacted by the proposal, FOG asks that further micro-siting of infrastructure be considered to reduce this impact. FOG notes that offsets are proposed within the project area and that these will include management of the offset area and cessation of grazing that is reducing the quality of the lizard’s habitat.

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Sarah Sharp
President

8 April 2014