A scoping report for the Burrendong Wind Farm has been lodged with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) by Australian renewable energy developer Epuron.
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Epuron has been investigating the area 30km south-east of Wellington and east of Lake Burrendong as a potential site for the wind farm.
The site is located within the NSW Government's Central West-Orana Renewable Energy Zone, and spans across part of the Dubbo Regional Council area and Mid-Western Regional Council area.
The proposed current design for the project includes 69 turbines, each with three blades, standing no more than 250m tall.
The scoping report presented to the DPIE said the project site is located within close proximity, around 45 kilometres, to approved wind and solar renewable energy projects, including Bodangora Wind Farm, Crudine Ridge Wind Farm the proposed Uungula Wind Farm, Wellington Solar Farm, Maryvale Solar Farm, Suntop Solar Farm and Beryl Solar Farm.
Around 63 residential dwellings are located within 8 kilometres of a proposed turbine location, with 12 of thse owned by landowners associated with the project.
Epuron said once the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs), have been issued they would start work on 'the various technical reports required, which will likely include comprehensive surveys and studies for visual, noise, transport and biodiversity matters'.
The project team may also continue to revise the layout design based on community feedback and study findings.
Epuron's General Manager for Wind Development Andrew Wilson has said in May he anticipated a three or four year turnaround if everything went to plan.
"Bodangora Wind Farm had somewhere in the region of 120 to 130 jobs during their two year construction period, this would probably be a bit of a bigger scale, we'd be looking at around 150 to 200 jobs," Mr Wilson said.
"Typically, the construction work gets linked to a major firm, but sub contracts and plant personnel will get employed from the local region."
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