Renewable energy is gaining traction in Queensland and Lat27’s landscape planning team has been working closely with AECOM on landscape and visual impact assessments for numerous proposed wind farms.  

Working with AECOM, we undertook the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment for Stages 1 and 2 of AGL’s Coopers Gap Wind Farm application. The site is located in a rural area near Kingaroy and the Bunya Mountains National Park. The assessment considered the impact of the Wind Farm on the landscape and surrounding visual receptors, including residents, tourists and those travelling on local scenic routes. Stage 1 of the scheme received a development permit from the Queensland Government in June 2017 and comprises up to 115 turbines with a blade tip height of up to a maximum of 180 m. A separate LVIA was prepared for Stage 2, which comprises an additional eight turbines, which has subsequently been granted approval. Cooper’s Gap is currently under construction and will be Australia’s largest Wind Farm development with an approved capacity up to 492 MW, capable of powering more than 240,000 homes.

Photomontage courtesy of AECOM.