Wind and Wildlife Proceedings from the Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts, 9 October, 2012 Melbourne, Australia

About this book

Wind and Wildlife gathers papers presented and discussions held at the Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts in Melbourne, Australia on 9th October 2012. The purpose of the conference was to bring together researchers, industry, consultants, regulators and Non-Government Organizations to share the results of studies into wind farm and wildlife investigations in Australia and New Zealand. The aim was to further networking and communication between these groups. The conference discussed key issues and areas for future investigation, with the intention of developing consistencies in research and management.

Like the Conference, Wind and Wildlife showcases current research and management in the field of wind farms and wildlife in Australia and New Zealand; establishes consistencies in research and management; and highlights areas in need of further examination. Wind and Wildlifes in these Proceedings are presented in two session topics. The first covers "Investigations and assessment of new wind farms" and the second, "Monitoring, mitigation and offsets." The Proceedings then summarize the panel discussions held at the end of the conference. The themes include improving pre- and post-construction survey design; identifying key knowledge gaps and research priorities; uncertainties and errors in data sets and analysis; creating opportunities to share knowledge; and assessing cumulative impacts across multiple sites.

Contents

- Introduction

Session 1: Investigations and assessments of new wind farms
- Predicting the weather-dependent collision risk for birds at wind farms
- Fauna collisions with wind turbines: effects and impacts, individuals and populations. What are we trying to assess?
- Wind farms and biodiversity: improving environmental risk assessments
- The use of aerial surveys for the detection of the brolga Grus rubicunda through south-west Victoria: key considerations for the wind industry
- Planning for net biodiversity gains: a case study of Hauauru ma raki wind farm, New Zealand

Session 2: Monitoring, mitigation and offsets
- Results and analysis of eagle studies from the Bluff Point and Studland Bay Wind Farms 2002 - 2012
- Observations from the use of dogs to undertake carcass searches at wind facilities in Australia
- Key learnings from ten years of monitoring and management interventions at the Bluff Point and Studland Bay Wind Farms: results of a review
- Summary of panel session

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