Abstract
Assessments of the potential effects of collisions with wind turbines by birds and bats are now a routine component of pre-approval planning processes for commercial-scale wind energy projects in Victoria. However, there is a lack of clear guidance on which species need to be included in these assessments.
The aim of this project was to provide a science-based approach to assist in decision-making regarding turbine collision risk for birds and bats in Victoria. There were two components to the project. First, it was necessary to decide which species should form the basis of the investigation, by deriving a list of ‘species of interest’ based on threatened species status. Second, it was necessary to develop an approach to determine which of those species may be at risk, at a Victorian population level, due to collisions with turbines, to enable a list of ‘species of concern’ to be compiled.