The Brandy Hill Energy Storage Project has continued development with a focus on design optimisation in the past months. This process aims to reduce impacts to community and environment, utilising advancements in equipment and engineering technologies. Community benefit sharing opportunities continue to be a focus of engagement with the Port Stephens Council, informed by Social Impact Assessment Survey responses from proximal neighbours in 2023. Future community information sessions will be held in 2025 prior to submission of the Project's Environmental Impact Statement. To remain up to date with the Brandy Hill Energy Project, please join our mailing list here.

Development of the Brandy Hill Energy Storage Project has continued with optimisation of design, progression of technical studies and an updated program until planning submission now available.

Planning submission is scheduled for 2025, which will proceed after another round of community information sessions in Seaham.

Timeline 

• Biodiversity - Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation approval received Aug 2023
• Cultural Heritage - walkover completed, Cultural Heritage Management Plan underway

The project team has collaborated with the landholder and technical specialists to continually improve and refine the project design. Evaluating suppliers has been a prolonged process as we strive to achieve fit-for-purpose all-around best outcomes. Next steps include photomontages and a landscape plan for tailored visual screening and minimising visual impact.

We are considering community benefit initiatives and the best avenue to deliver them. Several recommendations and ideas have been identified through our community consultation that are under consideration, and the project is currently working with Port Stephens Council to agree on the details and focus of benefit sharing arrangements.

Biodiversity

After a range of ecological surveys and investigations, the Project was assessed on both federal and state levels concluding it unlikely to have any significant impact on biodiversity values.

Proposals are assessed at a government level under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EPBC Act and regulations are Australia’s main national environmental legislation in place to protect unique plants, animals, habitats and places. For proposals that could impact any matters protected under the EPBC Act, a referral to the Environment Minister is required. In August 2023 the Brandy Hill Energy Project received EPBC approval following a referral under this process, and the Project will comply with the conditions set in this approval.

The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act) requires NSW state significant development proponents to produce a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) unless determined not likely to have any significant impact on biodiversity values. The Brandy Hill Energy Project was assessed in July 2023 and the requirement for a BDAR was waived. 

Cumulative Impacts

We will monitor the progress of other projects in the area, especially but not limited to traffic, noise, social and economic interactions and impacts. In doing so, we will consider NSW planning guidelines and requirements for future and existing projects to determine the potential cumulative impacts. At the time of writing, there are 5 proposed renewable energy projects in the form of small (under 5MW) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects in the vicinity of the Brandy Hill Energy Storage Project that are not associated with RES.

Layout

The proposed development will consist of the following components:

• Lithium Ion (li-ion) batteries within a series of containers;
• Connection to the existing Brandy Hill substation;
• Operation and maintenance facilities and substation utility area;
• Temporary laydown area;
• Fencing of the site;
• Vegetation screening along site boundaries where applicable;
• Internal site access tracks;
• Vehicular access from adjacent Unnamed Road; and
• Electrical inverter and transformer enclosures and associated electrical equipment.

Indicative BESS layout and infrastructure is provided here.

Click on the image to enlarge.

The Project would be subject to ongoing design refinement and procurement activities.

Noise

Noise levels at surrounding residences are being modelled to ensure compliance with the relevant criteria.

Local Roads

The future construction of the Project will require the delivery of some over size and over mass (OSOM) vehicles to the site. To accommodate the safe movement of these vehicles and the safety of all other road users, some minor works to some local roads may be required for the Project. This may include:

• Minor road widening in select locations;
• Temporary removal of median strips; and
• Temporary removal of signage to allow OSOM vehicles.

Where these changes may be made, these will be undertaken with the approval of the relevant road authority and will be communicated clearly with all stakeholders in advance of any changes to road conditions.

Electrical Safety and Electrical Magnetic Field (EMF) 

Click the link below to read the electrical safety and electromagnetic fields information sheet.

Electrical Safety and Electrical Magnetic Fields

Community Consultation

We strive to inform the community of project updates throughout the development process. The project team will communicate via the website and post in advance to the Seaham community information sessions in Q1 2024. These will provide further updates of technical studies on the project prior to the planning submission.

Please get in touch if you have any questions, want to give your feedback or learn more.

Planning Pathway

Following lodgement of a scoping report for the Project in late 2022 to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), the Department has responded to the submission with project specific assessment requirements (SEARs). The SEARs is available through: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/brandy-hill-battery-energy-storage-system

The preparation of a detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) commenced in the first half of 2023. The EIS for the Brandy Hill Energy Storage Project that is planned to be submitted late 2023, will include the results of several key assessments, that are still being conducted. These assessments include, but are not limited to, Traffic & Transport, Water, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, Hazard, Visual, Ecology, Noise and Social Impact.

Visual impacts

The project will be visible from some residential properties in the area. In addition, the site has a north facing slope and would be visible by road users on Clarence Town Road. Due to the proposed location of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on cleared land and adjacent to the road, the proposal may cause a visual impact to the surrounding area. Working with project neighbours, an independent visual impact assessment has commenced to identify the likely extent of potential impact and include options for management and mitigation measures, including a landscape plan.

Biodiversity

No threatened flora species are identified nor likely to occur in the grassland dominating the projects footprint due to the dominance of exotic species of grasses.  The project avoids the clearance of any trees and provides a buffer to retained trees. Based on ecological investigations, the project is unlikely to have a significant local ecological impact.

Noise

The primary sources of noise from the project are the fans associated with the battery systems and the inverter cooling systems. The noise level at residences surrounding the project will be predicted and compared with the relevant criteria. The final make and model of the equipment has yet to be selected. The assessment will be conducted using the manufacturer’s data for the selected equipment.

Community Consultation

As assessments progress, RES is committed to ensuring that Project impacts are communicated clearly, and information is shared with communities in a timely manner. Following initial community information sessions in November 2022, RES has continued to seek broad community feedback to inform the ongoing development of the Project. Shared common concerns raised during ongoing engagement include:

• Traffic impact to Clarence Town Road and Wighton Street
• Visual impact
• Impact from Electro Magnetic Frequency (EMF)
• Noise impact
• Ecological Impact, including impact to local koala populations

Ongoing engagement during the preparation of the EIS is crucial, so that the full extent of impacts and opportunities that may flow from the project can be understood and considered by interested stakeholders as part of the development process.  In addition to regulatory stakeholders and special interest groups, RES will continue consultation with interested community members, and will report back broadly to the community on the outcomes of ongoing assessments prior to our intended EIS submission.

RES intends to present the outcome of Project assessments during planned information sessions in Seaham, in the last quarter of 2023. 

In April, a project update was shared with the mail list, with key updates including:

What we know so far

Visual impacts
The project will be visible from some residential properties in the area. In addition, the site has a north facing slope and would be visible by road users on Clarence Town Road. Due to the proposed location of the BESS on cleared land and adjacent to the road, the proposal may cause a visual impact to the surrounding area. An independent visual impact assessment will identify the likely extent of potential impact and include options for management and mitigation measures, including a landscape management plan.

Biodiversity
No threatened flora species are identified nor likely to occur in the grassland dominating the projects footprint due to dominance of exotic species in the grassland. Koala and spotted-tailed quoll have a low to moderate likelihood to occur in the project area and immediate surrounds. The project avoids the clearance of any trees and provides a buffer to retained trees. Standard environmental measures will be implemented during construction and operation to minimise any impacts to the environment, such as bushfire management, soil and erosion controls and spill management. Based on ecological investigations, the project is unlikely to have a significant local ecological impact. RES has ongoing engagement with the Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) and with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment regarding the Biodiversity Development Assessment (BDAR).

What is yet to be explored

• Visual- an assessment of likely visual impacts on surrounding residences and key locations and provide details of measures to mitigate and/or manage potential impact. Assessment starts March 23.
• Noise and vibration- an assessment of construction and operational noise impacts of the development in accordance with the guidelines and policies. Assessment starts in March 23.
• Access and traffic- an assessment of likely transport impacts to the site access route, a cumulative impact assessment of traffic from nearby developments. Traffic assessment starts in March 23.
• Water- an assessment of the likely impacts of the development (including flooding, erosion) on surrounding watercourses, details of water requirements and supply arrangements for construction and operation.
• Hazard- a risk screening considering all recent standards and codes and verify separation distances to on-site and off-site receptors relating to (bush)fire and electromagnetic fields.
• Heritage – an assessment of impact to Aboriginal cultural heritage and historic heritage items, including consultation with Aboriginal communities. At the meeting with the Local Aboriginal Land Council at the end of March 23, a decision was made for a walkover on site at the start of April 23.
• Social- an assessment of the social impacts in accordance with guidelines and standards.
• Economic- an assessment of the economic impacts or benefits of the project for the region and the State as a whole.
• Waste- an assessment of likely waste stream to be generated during construction and operation, and describe the measures to be implemented to manage, reuse, recycle and safely dispose of this waste.

On the 10^th of March the Department of Planning and Environment issued the Planning Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) in response to the Brandy Hill Energy Project Scoping Report.

The Scoping Report and SEARs are available on the NSW Planning Portal

Focus Groups with Seaham and Brandy Hill community members were held in Seaham by Consentium, and aimed to collect a comprehensive understanding of concerns, priorities, and feedback of the local community.

Valuable feedback gathered from these sessions will influence the final design of our project and shape the way we plan to deliver benefits locally, meaningfully, and fairly through our renewable project. Feedback from the focus groups included: 

• Visual impacts – overwhelmingly participants want potential visual impacts mitigated, with the most common request being for vegetation screening to hide the project.
• Noise impacts – Most participants had concerns about potential noise impacts and wanted more information on how much noise the project will produce.
• Traffic Impacts – all participants were interested to know what roads the trucks would be using and how many vehicle movements are expected per day. The community is already highly sensitive to truck movements from the Brandy Hill Quarry. There were recurring concerns about road safety, pedestrian safety, congestion and access, damage to local roads, as well as potential use of local roads as alternate access to the site.
• Cumulative impacts – With the Brandy Hill Quarry already setting a baseline for truck movements higher than what would be expected in a rural community, some stakeholders were concerned any additional vehicles in the area would be felt more by the community than they would otherwise have.
• Job creation - Stakeholders were interested in any potential job opportunities for local suppliers. It was generally understood that the types of services required were associated with those required for civil works, though one stakeholder expressed skepticism that the project would employ locals.
• Sense of community - The participants expressed the feeling of a strong sense of community in the area and valued their way of life as living in a quiet, rural area, free from development.
• Communication and access to information - All participants indicated that they would like more information about the project, particularly in relation to any studies carried out in relation to noise, light, visual, and traffic impacts.

Technical studies investigating impacts to water, traffic and transport, cultural heritage, hazard, visual, ecology, noise, and social impact will commence throughout the first half of 2023. Alongside quantification of impacts, these studies will consider management and mitigation techniques. Following completion, the RES team will present and discuss findings at community information sessions prior to the submission of a Development Application for the project. 

The RES team has continued neighbour correspondence, collecting feedback from the community and proximal residents for the Social Impact Assessment. This feedback will be reflected in the ultimate development application for the Project.

Following on from initial consultation with the community, and considering early community feedback, a scoping report was lodged with the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in late 2022.

The Scoping Report is available for review on the Planning Portal.

Thank you to all who were able to attend our in-person information sessions held in November 2022 for the Brandy Hill Energy Storage Project!