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Wind Farms and Biodiversity: Improving Environmental Risk Assessments

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Wind and Wildlife

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Abstract

Greenhouse gasses are widely acknowledged as the primary cause of anthropogenically driven climate change. As part of its response to climate change, the New Zealand Government has adopted a target for renewable electricity generation of 90 % by 2025. Currently New Zealand has 16 wind farms in operation with a combined capacity of 622 MW. Wind-generated power, combined with a projected six-fold increase in wind generated electricity by 2030 has the potential to contribute significantly to New Zealand’s renewable targets. In New Zealand, wind energy developments require resource consent under the Resource Management Act 1991 involving the preparation of an Assessment of Environmental Effects to identify and address the risks of a proposal to the environment, including biodiversity. Quantitative methods require empirical data while more qualitative approaches can be based more on knowledge of the topography and sensitivity of the ecosystems. Adopting quantitative approaches can provide a structured approach to study design, data needs and analysis that objectively inform a risk assessment, decisions about the appropriateness of a development, the mitigation hierarchy and, when required, the development of biodiversity offsets. Stratified qualitative approaches that use ranked data of significant habitats and/or species of regional or national significance can also inform decision making. We illustrate these principles with case studies involving modelling of collision risk for the threatened New Zealand falcon based on radio tracking data, and the use of a risk envelope for a wind farm based on habitat and species assessments.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Meridian Energy Ltd. and Trust Power Energy Ltd. for permission to use data from their respective wind farm resource consent applications. We are grateful to the many landowners who granted access to their land in order to gather the data and information presented in this paper. We thank the many field assistants who have tolerated long days in all conditions who persevered to collect samples and data; in particular Roland Payne, Rob Jessop and Richard Allibone for their assistance at the Mahinerangi Wind Farm, and Richard Seaton and Becky Bodley for their assistance at the Hurunui Wind Farm site. The manuscript was improved by the insights of independent referees to whom we are grateful. Falcon trapping and radio tracking was conducted under Department of Conservation permits 0285 and CA-27062-FAU.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boffa Miskell Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand

    I. K. G. Boothroyd

  2. Wingspan Birds of Prey Trust, Rotorua, New Zealand

    L. P. Barea

Authors
  1. I. K. G. Boothroyd
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  2. L. P. Barea
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to I. K. G. Boothroyd .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Woolnorth Wind Farm Holding, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

    Cindy Hull

  2. Elmoby Ecology, Creswick, Victoria, Australia

    Emma Bennett

  3. Symbolix Pty Ltd, Williamstown North, Victoria, Australia

    Elizabeth Stark

  4. Biosis Pty Ltd, Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Ian Smales

  5. BirdLife Australia, Carlton, Victoria, Australia

    Jenny Lau

  6. Biosis Pty Ltd, Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Mark Venosta

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Boothroyd, I.K.G., Barea, L.P. (2015). Wind Farms and Biodiversity: Improving Environmental Risk Assessments. In: Hull, C., Bennett, E., Stark, E., Smales, I., Lau, J., Venosta, M. (eds) Wind and Wildlife. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9490-9_3

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