Thank you for forwarding this Ian.
The solar farm proposed for opposite Uriarra Village is fortunately not the tower type but I think the impact on birds will still be significant. There will be 38,000 panels covering over 30 hectares in the direct path (as the YTBC flies) from the Brindabellas to the Murrumbidgee. On those 38 degree days in summer the heat will be intense but I hope the birds will not fly overhead . The project did not require an Environmental Impact Statement but there was an environmental report as part of the development application. It claimed that only three species of birds was discovered on the site of the proposed solar farm during a survey on the morning of 30 January 2014 - magpies, galahs and eastern rosellas. The Conservator of Flora and Fauna accepted the report and agreed that the only three hollow bearing trees on the site (which survived the 2003 bushfires) could be removed. I regularly see many more birds than this but I suppose it is possible that on a particular summer morning they may not have been around. The development application is still being assessed (together with the 120 objections including 80 from Uriarra residents). Ex-planning Minister Corbell has been publicly supporting the solar farm during the assessment period so it will be an interesting test of ACTPLA's independence.
Judy Middlebrook
From: Baird, Ian [
Sent: Tuesday, 19 August 2014 4:11 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Potential impact on birds by large solar plants that concentrate the sun's rays
COG members should keep this potential impact on birds in mind:-
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/emerging-solar-plants-scorch-birds-130203799.html
Rgds,
Ian Baird
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