Planning Process
State Significant Development
The proposed Tchelery Wind Farm project is considered to be a State Significant Development (SSD), which means that it will be assessed by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in accordance with relevant planning policies and legislation.
Tchelery Wind Farm is in the early stages of its development with a scoping report submitted in June 2023 and SEARs received in July 2023.
The NSW SSD Planning Process that must be followed involves a number of stages, namely:
- Scoping: Submission of a Scoping Report to DPIE by Neoen;
- SEARs: Provision of the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) by DPE to Neoen;
- Preparation of EIS: Specialists undertake detailed surveys and assessments in accordance with the SEARs to understand the potential impacts of the project. This allows Neoen to update the wind farm and solar farm layouts to minimise these impacts. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) report is prepared.
- EIS Submission: Neoen submits the EIS report to the NSW DPE for assessment.
- Public exhibition: The EIS (Development Application) will be on public exhibition for at least 28 days;
- Response to submissions: Neoen will respond to the submissions;
- Assessment: NSW DPE will assess the Development Application including submission;
- Determination: Final determination of the Development Application by a delegate of the NSW Minister of Planning or the Independent Planning Commission.
Please refer to the NSW DPE’s website to learn more about the NSW SSD Planning Process.
Scoping Report
Neoen is working on initial scoping studies and is aiming to launch scoping report to NSW DPIE in Q1 2023. This report will provide preliminary information about the proposed project, including:
- A description of the land that the project is proposed on;
- A preliminary wind turbine layout;
- Information about the potential impacts and benefits of the project;
- Outcomes of preliminary desktop studies undertaken; and
- The outcomes of community and stakeholder consultation undertaken to date.
Once submitted the Scoping Report will be available on the NSW DPE’s Major Projects portal or the Documents page.
Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs)
NSW DPE reviews the Scoping Report and issues a list of all the requirements that Neoen and specialist consultants must address, called the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). The SEARs include feedback from local Councils and Government agencies regarding these requirements.
The SEARs will inform the next stage of the project – the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed wind and solar farm.
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
Neoen is working with WSP for the project as well as other specialist consultants to undertake the specialist studies required on this project. Some of the main studies included:
- Seasonal ecological surveys;
- Visual impact assessment;
- Noise impact assessment;
- Aboriginal Heritage assessment;
- Traffic and Transport assessment;
- Telecommunications
- Hazards, for example flooding and bushfire
- Aviation Safety
Community consultation will continue throughout 2023 with the support of Neoen and WSP’s Communications and Engagement Teams. If you would like to share your feedback with us on the project, please contact us to arrange a one-on-one meeting or fill in our feedback survey.
