As Australia continues its slow transition from petrol to electric powered vehicles, the Inner West faces some unique challenges. Not the least of which is the recharging issue with less than 40% of residents having suitable garages or carports on their properties.
In order to address this issue, the Inner West Council is moving to trial some publicly accessible, kerbside and parking area charging stations.
By piloting a small number of EV charging stations, council will gain valuable insight into the levels of use of the charging facility, community attitudes to having publicly available EV charging, as well as any unforeseen problems that may arise prior to rolling out EV charging more broadly across the Inner West.
The EV policy was endorsed at the April council meeting. Public engagement on the strategy is being held in July / August. The final report and recommendations are due to come before council in September / October.
Councillor Justine Langford said, “Residents across the Inner West are calling out for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Putting EV infrastructure in place across the Inner West will encourage residents to take up EVs. More EVs mean less emissions! Conducting a pilot of EVs now will help fast-track Council’s EV infrastructure and provide valuable learnings for the EV Strategy.
Council’s EV strategy needs to go through public consultation and endorsement before any action can be taken. If the pilot of two charging stations is given the green light now, then residents will benefit from new public charging infrastructure six months sooner.”
Councillor Chloe Smith said, “”We know that EVs are on the rise across Australia and the Inner West is a prime candidate for driving this uptake even further. Many Inner West residents are climate conscious and have the means to invest in cleaner, greener technology. This pilot will identify locations of highest demand and greatest accessibility across the LGA, paving the way for a big expansion of public charging infrastructure.
“Council must do its fair share in combatting the climate crisis. By partnering with providers and experts in the field, we will ensure that Council is heading in the right direction. Residents will benefit from more public charging stations, fewer emissions, and cleaner air across our neighbourhoods.”
