Visual Assessment & Rehabilitation Management Plan
Proposed Landform Raising – Lot 901 South
Western Highway, Whitby
10 October 2012
WA Limestone
Page 15
4.3
Assessment
Distance is a significant factor when assessing potential visual impact, with impact decreasing with
distance. As such the ability to view the proposal have been examined at three distance zones.
4.3.1
Foreground zone
The foreground zone extends up to 500m from the viewer position. A feature within this zone is
likely to be dominant in the observers view and therefore has the greatest potential
to cause impact
at this distance.
Within the foreground zone, viewpoints are restricted by the topography and vegetation to within
WA Bluemetal’s land and the neighbouring paddock to the south.
Two potentially sensitive viewpoints exist within the foreground zone, being Tumblegum Farm
(owned by WA Bluemetal) and South Western Highway.
Tumblegum Farm is located 230 metres north of the site at the closest point. Due to the topography
the proposal site cannot be viewed from Tumblegum Farm, even with the raising of
the elevation of
the site by 3 metres from the clay spreading.
South Western Highway passes within 280 metres at its closest point however the substantial
existing vegetation within the road reserve provides effective screening and is almost
completely
obscured. The nearest viewpoint of the proposal area on South Western Highway is approximately 1
kilometre south of the site. At this vantage point only a glimpse of the site is possible by vehicles
travelling northbound at 110km/h.
4.3.2
Middle ground zone
The middle ground zone extends from 500 metres out to 5000 metres from the viewer position. At
this distance individual features are still observable however are less prominent and less likely to
impact views.
Within this zone the proposed works will not be visible in its entirety at any location, with only
partial glimpses and views at isolated locations.
The topography and existing vegetation effectively screen the proposal area from the north and
east. To the south the topography and vegetation restrict views of the proposal to a distance of
2000 metres and only with paddocks and vacant land. The modelling
shows that the proposal will
not be visible from any residence or potentially sensitive viewpoint.
To the west and south-west the existing vegetation provides effective screening for the majority of
the area with only scattered and isolated views possible at several locations at distances from 1000
to 5000 metres, the majority being at 4000m and greater and restricted to paddocks and vacant
land.
The only notable viewpoint identified is at the intersection of South Western Highway and Keirnan
Road, at a distance of approximately 1000m. This point represents the most visible publically
accessible location. Field investigations show views at this point to be partially obscured by the
existing vegetation and demonstrate that even at this relatively close distance the
view is dominated
by the existing vegetation in the foreground with the proposal site in the background (See Appendix
1 – Photo 20). In any case any impact will be short term until the area has been rehabilitated.
SJS TRIM - IN12/17340
OCM122.9/01/13
Visual Assessment & Rehabilitation Management Plan
Proposed Landform Raising – Lot 901 South Western Highway, Whitby
10 October 2012
WA Limestone
Page 16
4.3.3
Background zone
Within the background distance zone at between 5km to 16.5km from the viewer
position, a feature
may still be visible (dependent on size) however its prominence and potential
impact will be
substantially diminished than at closer distances. The effects of perspective, scale, haze, other
features observable, etc all contribute to this diminishing effect.
Although not modelled it is assumed that WA Bluemetal’s proposal will be visible from within this
background zone in some locations. However given the limited and diminished extent to which it
would be visible from these distances it is considered highly unlikely to cause any visual impact.
4.4
Findings
The computer modelling demonstrates that views of the proposed works will not be visible except
for scattered and isolated locations within rural paddocks and vacant land and will not impact any
potentially sensitive viewpoint.
The duration of the works is temporary and staged over several years.
The proposal will not
significantly modify the existing landform and with the land to be returned to pasture or native
vegetation will not cause any permanent visual impact.
In visual terms the nature of the works being the spreading of earth within an existing agricultural
paddock are considered to be compatible with that expected to occur by agricultural and rural uses.
As such the activity if viewed would not be out of context with the visual landscape and therefore
unlikely to cause impact.
4.5
Proposed Visual Management
The amount of visual impact from the landform raising will be mitigated by the following work
methods:
•
Filling the site along the southern and western ends of the site (along the winter creek lines)
first. This will allow the vegetation to be established in these areas first, so that tree planting
can help to mitigate any visual impact when landform raising activities continue further up
the slope.
•
Filling no more than 2.5 hectares of the site at a time without revegetation activities (topsoil
respread, tree planting) occurring. This will mean no more than 24% of the entire site will be
impacted at any one time, with the remainder of the site either being revegetated or in its
natural state awaiting revegetation.
•
Minimising any potential dust impacts by hydro-mulching the site if dust becomes a visual
impact issue.
•
Restrict operations to daylight hours to prevent any potential visual impact from light
overspill.
SJS TRIM - IN12/17340
OCM122.9/01/13