Visual Impact Assessment Plan Concrete Batching …...Concrete Batching plant South East Corner of site Landform is therefore a key influence on the extent to which the proposed operation

310 Gregors Creek Road, Gregors Creek

for

Edith Pastoral Company

Date: Jan 2016

Revision: B

Visual Impact Assessment Plan

Concrete Batching Plant

VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PLAN

CONCRETE BATCHING PLANT

310 GREGORS CREEK ROAD Lockyer Designs

R e v B P a g e 1

Document control sheet

If you have any questions regarding this document, please contact:

Contact Officer Tony McDonald

Title Project Manager (Lockyer Designs)

Phone: 07 5462 4785

Job No: LD-1044

Version history

Revision No. Date Details

A November 2015 Draft Issue

B January 2016 Final Issue

52 Crescent Street (PO Box 383),

Gatton Qld 4343

P: 07 5462 4785 F: 07 5462 1823

230 James Street (PO Box 18132)

Toowoomba Qld 4350

P: 07 4639 4188 F: 07 4646 2408




R e v B P a g e 2

Executive Summary

Lockyer Designs was commissioned by Edith Pastoral Company to produce a visual impact assessment plan for the proposed Concrete Batching Plant at 310 Gregors Creek Road, Gregors Creek as part of the Development Permit Material Change of Use application to Somerset Regional Council. The proposed site is currently farming land and adjoins pastoral land. The proposed development site is located on the southern side of Gregors Creek Road approximately 3km from the Brisbane Valley Highway intersection. The concrete batching area is located approximately 2.8km from Gregors Creek Road along an existing access road. The development site is bound by undeveloped pastoral lands with the nearest neighbour approximately 1.36km from the site on the south western side of the concrete batching plant location. Analysis of the visual impact was undertaken through field and desk top observation, evaluation of the existing landscape, and analysis of degree of visual impact which could potentially be caused by the proposed development. Views towards the development site are only evident from:

Gregors Creek Road to the northeast – Not Visible.

Gregors Creek Road to the northwest - Not Visible to Very Slightly Visible.

South West Side of Development - Partly Visible.

In conclusion the proposed development will have low visual impact on the surrounding landscape, and the following items will help shield the development face view:

a) There is mature vegetation in view from Gregors Creek Road which creates a constraint on sightlines from Gregors Creek Road within the visibility catchment.

b) The horizontal alignment of Gregors Creek Road will also reduce the visual impact of the development due to the curvature of the road.

c) Existing trees will be retained if possible; however, as a consequence of the development some existing trees are required to be removed. The removal of existing trees was taken into consideration for the visual impact assessment. Edith Pastoral Company will plant trees along the access road and the south western side of the concrete batching plant to reduce the visibility impact of the operation.




R e v B P a g e 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. 2

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Proposal ............................................................................................................................................ 4

3. Site Description ................................................................................................................................. 4

4. Field Investigation............................................................................................................................. 5

5. Visibility Catchment .......................................................................................................................... 6

6. Identification of View Points ............................................................................................................ 6

7. Visual Impact Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 6

8. Analysis ............................................................................................................................................. 6

8.1 Field Investigation ................................................................................................................................... 6

8.2 Surrounding Land Uses ........................................................................................................................... 7

8.3 Landform and Elevation .......................................................................................................................... 7

8.4 Visual Character and Vegetation ............................................................................................................ 8

8.5 Visibility Catchment ................................................................................................................................ 9

8.6 View Point Identification ...................................................................................................................... 10

9. Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 12

10. Extractive Industry – Hard Rock Extraction ................................................................................ 12

11. Appendix – Drawings .................................................................................................................. 13




R e v B P a g e 4

1. Introduction

Lockyer Designs was commissioned by Edith Pastoral Company to produce a visual impact assessment plan for the proposed Concrete Batching Plant at 310 Gregors Creek Road, Gregors Creek as part of the Development Permit Material Change of Use application to Somerset Regional Council. The proposed site is currently farming land and adjoins pastoral land. Refer to figure 1.

2. Proposal

The proposed development as shown on Drawing No LD-1030-SK08 – Overall Locality Plan, will be visible to a limited degree from the south southwest direction to a northwest direction due to the topography of the land and the location of the concrete batching plant. The operation is not visible from other directions due to the existing rolling to mountainous terrain. Motorists travelling along Gregors Creek Road will have limited and intermittent view of the plant. Where possible existing trees will be retained, however, as a consequence of the development some existing trees are required to be removed. The removal of existing trees was taken into consideration for the visual impact assessment. Edith Pastoral Company will plant trees along the access road, the south western side of the concrete batching plant to reduce the visibility impact of the operation.

3. Site Description

The proposed development site is located on the southern side of Gregors Creek Road approximately 3km from the Brisbane Valley Highway intersection. The concrete batching area is located approximately 2.8km from Gregors Creek Road along an existing access road. Refer to figure 1.The development site is bound by undeveloped pastoral lands with the nearest neighbour approximately 1.36km from the site on the south western side of the concrete batching plant. The proposed fully developed site is located within the following parcels of land covering approximately 1,500m2 of the total area of 369ha.

Lot 1 RP75267,

Lot 2 RP75267,

Lot 1 RP15328,

Lot 5 RP41543,

Lot 2 RP99954,

Lot 1 CSH2113,

Lot 3 RP84104. The site has road frontage along the northern boundary to Gregors Creek Road. The traffic volume on this road is low and consists of local residents, people travelling to or from Kilcoy and tourists to Somerset Dam.




R e v B P a g e 5

Figure 1 – Locality Plan

Analysis of the visual impact was undertaken through observation, evaluation of the existing landscape, and analysis of degree of visual impact which could potentially be caused by the proposed development. The visual assessment methodology involves the following stages:

Field Investigation and Observations,

Identification of Visibility Catchment/Identification of Viewpoints,

Visual Impact Analysis,

Identification of key design elements,

Operational Recommendations.

4. Field Investigation

The field investigation was undertaken to determine the following critical elements for the visual impact assessment:

Determination of existing visually sensitive receptors within the surrounding environment;

The existing landform and elevations in the immediate surrounding area;

The extent of existing vegetation surrounding the site and within the immediate locality; The extent of sightlines to the proposed development from the surrounding area can be accessed from viewpoints around the development.

Proposed Concrete

Batching Plant




R e v B P a g e 6

The field investigation involved a comprehensive site and area inspection, and, through a process of elimination, identified the extent and location of area and properties from where the development can be seen. These points were identified on an aerial view of the site and the surrounding area. Photographs were also taken to provide images that closely reflect the normal field of view for the human eye. The landform, vegetation and visual character of the locality in which the site is located were analysed. Refer Appendix: Drawing No LD-1030-SK105 – Visibility Catchment Plan.

5. Visibility Catchment

The Visibility Catchment was formed during the field and desktop investigation by identifying the furthest points in either direction at which the development could be viewed. This was completed through approximating the furthest points at which the development could be reasonably viewed by the human eye. A radius was therefore identified which formed the outermost points at which the site could be viewed. The Visibility Catchment is the boundary which contains all potential visual impacts and is therefore an important consideration for the visual impact assessment. Refer Appendix: Drawing No LD-1030-SK105 – Visibility Catchment Plan.

6. Identification of View Points

Once the Visibility Catchment was established, additional points within this boundary that had site specific or potential clear views of the proposed development could be identified. The process involved undertaking a radius search within the bounds of the Visibility Catchment and gradually moving closer in proximity to the proposed upgrade to identify all points within the Catchment which could potentially have a partial or clear view of the development site. Essentially, a process of elimination was used to identify those points which would have views to the proposed development. Through the field investigation, viewpoints with a potential partial or clear view of the proposed development site within the visibility catchment were marked on an aerial map of the site. These points formed the basis for the further visual impact analysis.

7. Visual Impact Analysis

The visual impact analysis focuses on an evaluation of the identified viewpoints in the previous stage. A set of observational criteria are utilised to rate the anticipated degree of visual impact of the proposed development from the identified viewpoints. The criteria provide a description of the estimated visual change in the character of the landscape by the proposed development.

8. Analysis

8.1 Field Investigation

An assessment of the visual amenity, character and land uses of the existing environment determined the visually sensitive receptors within the surrounding area. The following provides a detailed assessment of the existing visual landscape surrounding the site.




R e v B P a g e 7

8.2 Surrounding Land Uses

The site is located in grazing land with the distances to the nearest dwelling to the south west of the development shown in Table 1. Land adjoining the development site is also grazing land with the Brisbane River to the north and west of the development and a section of Gregors Creek Road to the north of the proposed development. Table 1

Distance to Nearest Visible Dwelling From Distance

Concrete Batching Plant 1.36 km

The visual amenity and character of the surrounding area can be identified as farm land with undulating to steep topography and mature existing vegetation scattered across the region.

8.3 Landform and Elevation

Table 2 details the location of the operation within the site and these are shown on Drawing No LD-1030-SK105. It is recognised that the landform and elevation can both promote sightlines to the proposed development and also negate sightlines for residents which are not located within the immediate vicinity of the site. Table 2

Operation Location on Site

Concrete Batching plant South East Corner of site

Landform is therefore a key influence on the extent to which the proposed operation may be visible from surrounding areas. The major aspects of the landform is summarised in Table 3 Table 3

Location Comment

Gregors Creek Road, North of the Development Not Visible.

Gregors Creek Road, North West of the Development

Not Visible to Very Slightly Visible.

South West Side of Development Partly Visible

Elevations of the natural surface are summarised in Table 4 Table 4– Approximate Elevation

Location Approximate Natural Ground Elevation

Gregors Creek Road, North West of the Development

100m

South West Side of Development Residences 90m to 100m

Concrete batching plant 110m

A contour plan of the site and surrounding area is provided in Appendix: Drawing No LD-1030-SK105 – Visibility Catchment Plan.




R e v B P a g e 8

The field investigation found that the landform and elevation within the area provide a major constraint for potential sightlines to the proposed development. Views towards the operation within the development site are only evident from Gregors Creek Road and the south western boundary. The undulating terrain and vegetation creates a constraint on sightlines to the concrete batching plant.

8.4 Visual Character and Vegetation

Due to the current land use of grazing the current vegetation is predominantly grass with a scattering of trees. The area has mature trees over the site comprised of tall gums ranging from 5-10 metres in height. An important consideration for the visual assessment is the existing vegetation which will screen views to the proposed development site. The following photographs show the extent of the existing vegetation on site.

View from Concrete Batching Plant Site to the South West




R e v B P a g e 9

View from outside Concrete Batching Plant Site toward the South East

8.5 Visibility Catchment

The visibility catchment was identified through the field investigations by utilising an elimination process to determine the outermost points whereby views to the operation are evident. Figure 2 below shows the extent of the visibility catchment for the development. Refer Appendix: Drawing No LD-1030-SK105 – Visibility Catchment Plan for the detail drawing. The diagram shows that views to the proposed development are limited to a finite area within proximity of the subject site. The visibility catchment is limited by the sloping nature of the topography of the surrounding land and the existing vegetation.




R e v B P a g e 10

Figure 2 – Visibility Catchment

8.6 View Point Identification

A number of points were identified within the visibility catchment where potential partial or full sightlines to the proposed development would be evident. The significant viewpoint identified is along the south western boundary. Operation viewed from Gregors Creek Road to the north west will only be very slightly visible. Figure 3 shows the view frame of the identified viewpoints within the visibility catchment and the field of view and visual importance as seen from Gregors Creek Road and the southern western boundary. Views from other areas to the development site are screened by existing trees and natural terrain features.





R e v B P a g e 11

View 1 from Gregors Creek Road - Concrete Batching Plant Cement Silos

View 2 from Laneway 75m off Braemore Lane – Distance 2.05km. (Note: Concrete Batching Plant symbol shown large for clarity)

Concrete Batching Plant Cement Silos

Existing Dairy


Dot in centre of circle




R e v B P a g e 12

9. Conclusions

Views towards the development site are only evident from:

Gregors Creek Road to the north – Not Visible.

Gregors Creek Road to the northwest - Not Visible to Very Slightly Visible.

South West Side of Development - Partly Visible.

The following items will help shield the development face view: d) There is mature vegetation in view from Gregors Creek Road which creates a constraint on

sightlines from Gregors Creek Road within the visibility catchment. e) The horizontal alignment of Gregors Creek Road will also reduce the visual impact of the

development due to the curvature of the road. Where possible existing trees will be retained, however, as a consequence of the development some existing trees are required to be removed. The removal of existing trees was taken into consideration for the visual impact assessment. Edith Pastoral Company will plant trees along the access road and the south western side of the concrete batching plant to reduce the visibility impact of the operation.

10. Extractive Industry – Hard Rock Extraction

Edith Pastoral Company is submitting a Development Permit Material Change of Use application to Somerset

Regional Council for a proposed Extractive Industry (hard rock extraction) operation to be located around the

concrete batching plant. Refer to “dashed” outline on Lockyer Designs Sketch LD-1030-SK105.

This operation in conjunction with the development as detailed in this report will slightly increase the visual

impact on the surrounding areas with the mitigation measures proposed.

For details refer to the separate Development Application.




R e v B P a g e 13

11. Appendix – Drawings

LD-1030-SK100 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Locality Plan and Drawing Index

LD-1030-SK101 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Concept Site Development

LD-1030-SK102 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Existing Irrigation Network

LD-1030-SK104 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Concrete Batching Plant Layout

LD-1030-SK105 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Visibility Catchment

LD-1030-SK106 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Flood Levels

LD-1030-SK08 - Rev A – Proposed Concrete Batching Plant - Overall Locality Plan

Documents

Visual Impact Assessment Plan Concrete Batching …...Concrete Batching plant South East Corner of site Landform is therefore a key influence on the extent to which the proposed operation