Report to Edify Energy on the proposed solar voltaic farm at Darlington Point: Effects of solar voltaic farm installation and operation on Riverine Plain Grasslands

Charles Sturt University (CSU) were appointed by Edify Energy to provide specialist input into the impact assessment and proposed site management of Riverine plains grasslands for the Darlington Point Solar Farm (DPSF) project.
Management recommendations have been developed in relation to the three aims given in the Management Strategy section regarding maintenance of grassland diversity, habitat value (structure and ground cover) and fire risk.
The report, based on observations of the site together with the available scientific literature, concludes that the overall impacts of the photovoltaic solar (PV) array on grassland species diversity, habitat values and fire fuel load for the site would not be significant and in certain aspects such as weed management potentially highly positive.
Given the dynamic nature of biological systems, monitoring will be essential and an adaptive management approach implemented based on, and responsive to, seasonal/annual conditions. This will be critical during the early stages when the solar plant has been set up and the grassland is re-establishing.
There will be a need from the site development phase onwards for a focus on monitoring annual exotic weeds numbers and the strategic imposition of interventions via grazing, mowing and possibly herbicides to maintain and improve the present condition.