Closure

Planning for this stage is essential to provide clarity about what will happen at the end of a project’s life, including design, scope and funding of rehabilitation and remediation activities, and the continuation of social and other benefits for the relevant Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC), including a secure energy source.

Closure must be considered in the early stages of the project and will include agreement about ongoing maintenance, shut down or handover of project assets, as budgeted for and referenced in the project design, and based on the understanding that tasks will likely fall to future generations given the life of a project could be 25-60 plus years.

As the renewable industry is still relatively new, this information is based on YMAC’s experience in closure of other project activities, such as mining.

Planning for closure

Some remediation activity will take place during both the feasibility and operation stages as/when project elements end. Remediation may take several years and require ongoing management. The Compliance Manager and/or Implementation Officer will play a key role.

When planning for closure, clarity is essential to manage expectations and exit strategy. The following elements are budgeted for and referenced within the project design:

agreement about ongoing maintenance, shut down or handover of project assets;
design, scope and funding of rehabilitation and remediation activities;
documentation, record-keeping and return of materials;
continuity planning to ensure commitments are met by future Renewable Energy Developer (RED) Boards/employees given the life of the project could be 25-60 plus years;
continuation of Traditional Owner community benefits, including a secure energy source;
engaging expert advisers for rehabilitation, remediation, and opportunities to enhance the ecological, cultural and agricultural value of the land to enable future use;
involvement of local Traditional Owners in both planning for and implementation of remediation and rehabilitation activities and/or repurposing the site;
contingency for sensitive environments that have undergone significant change during the life of the project. Some changes may not have been predicted or planned but still require remediation or rehabilitation.

Local Traditional Owner involvement

Local Traditional Owner involvement is key to remediation and rehabilitation of the project site, understanding that the responsibility for undertaking these tasks will likely fall to future generations, given the life of the project could be 25-60 plus years. Local Traditional Owner involvement is also key to managing potential or actual project closure impacts on Country and community in line with the Heritage Management Plan for the project.

Planning considerations include:

capacity and resourcing of PBCs;
PBC ability to clarify objectives and vision for their Country after such a significant period of time has elapsed, and how that varies from the vision articulated at the first approach stage e.g., Board composition may have changed several times;
sensitive environments that have undergone significant change during the life of the project. Some changes may not have been predicted or planned;
managing closure expectations and RED exit strategy;
documentation, record-keeping and return of materials;
funding for rehabilitation, remediation and other activities undertaken by local Traditional Owners, e.g., ranger and land and sea management programs.