Stroud to Lansdowne Transmission Line Project Community Working Group (CWG)

1. Stroud to Lansdowne Transmission Line Project Community Working Group (CWG)

2. Agenda • Introductions and housekeeping • Project scope, background, need and process • Seeking community input - CWG and member responsibilities • Present Options Selection Report (OSR) • Review corridor options and associated constraints/opportunities • Field visit

3. Project scope The proposal includes: • Construction of a single circuit 330 kV transmission line between Stroud Substation and Lansdowne; • Establishment of a new 330 kV substation near Lansdowne, which would initially operate as a 132 kV switching station; • Construction of a double circuit 132 kV transmission line between the proposed Lansdowne Substation and the existing Taree to Port Macquarie 132 kV transmission line; • Establishment of associated access tracks; and • Provision of all ancillary infrastructure and works.

4. Study area (Figure 1)

5. Background and need • Significant population growth in the Mid North Coast region over the coming two decades coupled with growth in employment-generating sectors and associated services. • TransGrid’s objective is to develop and maintain the NSW electricity network to provide a safe and reliable supply of electricity.

6. Background and need • Essential Energy and TransGrid track and periodically report on forecast growth in electricity demands in the region • Current forecasts predict a future need to augment the electricity network to ensure a safe and reliable supply of electricity • TransGrid has sought alternatives to building new transmission infrastructure, but to date no alternative has been identified that would entirely remove the need for a new transmission line • Current estimates indicate a need for a new Stroud to Lansdowne 132 kV transmission connection in the mid 2010s, with energisation to 330 kV expected in the mid 2020s.

7. Options Selection Report • Aimed at identifying potential substation site options and transmission line corridor options, and analysing those options based on environmental planning factors • Community consultation will be used to refine options and to inform a decision on a preferred site and corridor • The preferred site and corridor will form the basis of a detailed Environmental Impact Statement, which will be subject to statutory assessment and consultation • Options have been identified with the initial aim of avoiding environmental planning impacts where possible

8. CWG – Seeking community input 1) Gathering input on OSR, corridor options and substation locations 2) Identify key constraints: environmental; social; and cultural 3) Collect and disseminate information to stakeholders and wider community 4) Two meetings: Saturday 25 February 2012 - Review and understand corridor options and provide initial input Saturday 24 March 2012 - Group discussion of constraints, recommendations and opportunities

9. Seeking community input Wider community consultation: Commences Monday 27 February and closes Monday 26 March 2012 • Letters to residents/businesses and key stakeholders • Newspaper advertisements • Media release • Website update • Feedback forms • Submissions received

10. Member responsibilities As per Terms of Reference Charter: • Attend each meeting (a total of two) • Review meeting minutes • Verbally report to CWG on communication activities and stakeholder concerns • Review and comment on information provided • Provide information to TransGrid on relevant issues concerning your local community/group regarding the OSR/corridor options • Feed information provided back into your local community/group • Only make comments to the media or in public forums on behalf of yourself, not on behalf of the CWG, TransGrid or AECOM

11. Process We are here Community Consultation Community Consultation Community Consultation

12. Options Selection Report (OSR) What is the OSR? The OSR: • identifies potential corridor alignments for transmission line and potential substation sites near Lansdowne; • aims to identify the least environmentally constrained corridor and substation site; and • is being used as the basis for community and stakeholder engagement. Note: Tabs identify key chapters for consideration

13. Substation site options Constraints analysis • First principles approach • Consideration of relative benefits and drawbacks of each site option • Three options proposed including an existing site owned by TransGrid

14. Substation site options (Figure 2) • Study area generally limited by topography to the north, urban development to the south, Yarratt State Forest to the west and the desire to avoid sites too far to the east (main northern railway line) • Key constraints within the study area include: • Land use (Brimbin urban release area) • Noise generation (residential receivers to the north, east and south) • Ecology (potentially significant vegetation) • Some heritage constraints • Some limitations relating to topography and drainage • Three potential site options have been identified

15. Substation land use (Figure 9) • Locality is a mix of rural residential zonings, and some environmental protection zonings • Population centres have been avoided. • Rural residential and agricultural pursuits along the Lansdowne River • Proposed Brimbin urban release area has yet to be rezoned, and may offer opportunity for accommodating land use planning outcome

16. Substation noise (Figure 10) • Basic acoustic modelling used to identify areas where additional noise mitigation may be required (900 metres from residential receivers) • Key noise constraints likely to be towards the north • Potential implications for compatible land uses within the Brimbin release area in future • Additional noise mitigation at the substation or at the affected receiver(s) may be an alternative, depending on which site option is selected

17. Substation ecology (Figure 11) • An ecological sensitivity analysis mapping process was undertaken to consider potential ecological constraints • The analysis included mapped ecological data such as Endangered Ecological Communities, wetlands and riparian areas, key habitat corridors, threatened fauna habitat • The locality includes some significant ecological constraints, including habitat connectivity issues • Potential cumulative issues with transmission infrastructure connections will need to be taken into account • Area is also recognised as important habitat for several threatened species, and an important population of Red Gum

18. Substation heritage and watercourses (Figure 12 and 13) • Watercourses and known Aboriginal heritage items have been avoided • Potential for new heritage items to be uncovered, particularly towards the south around drainage lines and Dawson River • Heritage and watercourse constraints could be avoided through careful design

19. Substation sites evaluation (Table 26)

20. Substation sites evaluation (Table 27)

21. Identification of corridor options • First principles approach • Identification of landscape-scale constraints

22. Corridor options (Figure 3 and Figure 4) • Study area defined to generally avoid the coastal zone to the east (Pacific Highway) and based on northern (Lansdowne substation site) and southern (Stroud substation) practical limits. Western limit defined by topography and desire to minimise transmission line length • Key environmental planning constraints include land use, landscape/ visual, ecology, heritage, traffic, soils/ water • Key pinch point in the Taree-Wingham area where corridors have been pushed into the Yarratt State Forest to avoid urban development areas

23. Corridor options (Figures 5-7) • Corridor Option 1 – generally along the existing 132 kV transmission line easement • Corridor Option 1 + 1a – deviation from Corridor Option 1 along The Bucketts Way • Corridor Option 1 + 1b – alternative crossing to the west of Winghman • Corridor Option 1 + 1a + 1b – hybrid option • Corridor Option 2 – western edge of Stroud-Gloucester Valley and north of Wingham

24. Corridor options land use • Urban areas and population centres have been avoided through the corridor identification process • Generally rural residential in nature (Figures 14-16) • Some environmental conservation zonings to the south of Gloucester (Figure 15) • Key pinch point around Taree-Wingham corridor, where urban development density increases (Figure 16) • Mining is also a significant constraint through the Stroud-Gloucester Valley (Figures 17 and 18) • Connection through the Brimbin release area will require careful design (Figure 16)

25. Corridor options landscape/ visual • Corridor alignments along the existing 132 kV transmission line corridor will minimise visual impacts through co-location, rather than spreading transmission line infrastructure • Landscape character mapping (Figure 20) has been used to identify sensitive landscapes, and those with greater potential to ‘hide’ transmission infrastructure within the landscape • Floodplains (landscape character types 3, 9 and 10) are susceptible to visual impacts as are urban/ rural fringe areas (landscape character type 10) • Crossing ridgelines will require careful design to ensure minimisation of potential visual impacts (landscape character type 7)

26. Corridor options landscape/ visual • Landscapes such as steep rolling hills (landscape character type 5) and forested hills (landscape character type 11) offer opportunities for ‘hiding’ transmission infrastructure • Concrete/ steel H-frame poles or steel lattice towers will be used for the new power line • Visualisations have been produced to show how H-frame poles and steel lattice towers may look along the corridor options (Appendix A)

27. Corridor options ecology (Figures 21-23) • The ecological sensitivity analysis has been mapped across the study area • Where possible, ecological constraints have been avoided through the corridor identification process • The most significant potential ecological impacts are associated with the crossing of the Yarratt State Forest (Figure 23). This is common to all corridor options. • Other pinch points include the crossing of mountain ranges to the east of Belbora (Figure 22) and along the edges of the Stroud-Gloucester Valley (Figure 21)

28. Corridor options heritage (Figures 24-26) • Most known Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage items have been avoided through the corridor identification process, or could be avoided through careful design of the transmission line within the preferred corridor • The Stroud-Gloucester Valley and Vale of Gloucester (Figures 24 and 25) are indicative listings on the Register of the National Estate • Both listings relate to the heritage landscape and span both heritage and landscape values • All options would affect these listing areas, although potential impacts have been minimised by identifying corridors along the edge of the valley, rather than through it

29. Corridor options heritage • Killawarra Reserve is also an indicative listing on the Register of the National Estate, but could be avoided through careful transmission line design (Figure 26) • The Hillview property and Bo Bo Creek Cemetery are important European heritage items listed under the Greater Taree local environmental plan (Figure 26), which could also be avoided through careful transmission line design

30. Corridor options soils and water • The study area spans the catchments for the Manning River and Karuah River (Figure 27) • A watercourse sensitivity analysis has been undertaken to consider the potential impacts of crossing watercourses along each corridor option (Figures 28-30) • Watercourse crossings represent both a practical constraint to construction, but also the potential to impact on riparian areas with possible flow on effects for bank stability, erosion and sedimentation • The Manning River crossing near The Bight (Figure 30) is important in terms of potential impacts on watercourse navigation

31. Corridor options traffic, transport and infrastructure • Consideration has been given to the number of times each corridor option crossings road, rail and existing power infrastructure • Such crossings may represent practical constraints to construction and potential safety issues that will need to be considered further as part of the detailed design process • Potential impacts on airports and landing strips have been avoided through the corridor identification process

32. Corridor options evaluation Please refer to Table 28

33. Corridor options evaluation (Table 29)

34. Initial feedback Open discussion

35. Meeting 2 preparation We request that you please: • Read the OSR, particularly the marked pages/sections • Watch out for your invitation by mail • Disseminate information provided today to wider groups/communities • Identify other constraints, issues or opportunities to be raised at the next meeting • Contact the project team if you have any questions – Phone 1800 222 537 Email stroud.lansdowne@transgrid.com.au

36. What now? Field visit – reconvene at 1.25pm for 1.30pm departure