Why are we piloting EV charging points?
EVs provide many benefits to the community including:
- reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
- reduced fuel costs
- lower maintenance costs
- reduced noise pollution, resulting in an overall cleaner, quieter and more sustainable road network.
While many EV owners have a home charging point, some households in higher-density suburbs and apartment owners don’t have a garage or off-street parking where a charger could be installed. This pilot allows EV owners who don’t have access to off-street parking to safely charge their vehicles.
How were the sites selected?
Locations across the local government area have been assessed to determine which sites may be suitable for the pilot. The recommended sites were selected based on:
- presence of high residential dwelling densities (apartments, townhouses) with lack of off-street parking
- commercial and local business density with high dwell times
- availability of appropriate existing energy and power pole provisions as determined by Intellihub
Is Council paying for the charging stations?
Council will not be contributing financially towards the installation, maintenance, and if required following the trial removal of EV infrastructure.
Will the parking space only be able to be used by electric vehicle owners?
Yes. A single parking space at each charging station site will be reallocated for parking only for the purpose of charging. The parking space and associated parking restrictions will be amended to be in accordance with adjacent spaces. For example, if existing parking restrictions at the site are 2P, the single reallocated park would be restricted to “2P whilst charging only”. This is to ensure that access to the charger is not limited for use by EV drivers, and that the information collected as part of the trial is representative to inform future planning decisions.
Is there a time limit on the parking spaces?
There are time limits in place for the parking spaces. Please refer to the signage at each parking location when using the EV charger.
Do I need to pay to use the streetside EV charger?
Yes. EV owners are charged for each charging session based on how much electricity they use.
Do I need to bring my own cord to plug into the charge?
Yes. The chargers are all “untethered” chargers, meaning that there is no cable provided. EV users generally always carry their own charging cables and this design decision on the chargers was to reduce impacts to visual amenity and streetscape by avoiding having cables at the chargers when not in use, throughout the trial period.
Who pays for the electricity to charge the electric vehicles?
The EV owner pays for their electricity they consume. This will occur via an App as directed by the onsite charging instructions.
Is additional planning approval required?
Planning approval is not required as the infrastructure falls within Exempt Development under the NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 (State Policy).