Four new 50kW electric vehicle charging stations will be installed around the Yarra Ranges, after Council was successful in receiving a State Government grant under the EV Charging for Council Fleets (EVCCF) Program. The EVCCF Program awarded grants to 26 Victorian Councils and plans to install approximately 120 EV private charging stations within approximately 57 council sites across Victoria by May 2023.
Council will match the $125,000 commitment from the State Government to deliver the charging stations from the EVCCF program and these charging stations (located in Lilydale, Yarra Junction and Monbulk) will be used to charge Council’s electric fleet vehicles.
A further four 50 kW charging stations supported by Council will be available for use by community members with electric vehicles (EV) through the State Government’s Destination Charging Across Victoria (DCAV) Program. Evie Networks will be installing three of these chargers in Belgrave, Yarra Junction/Warburton, Healesville and Yarra Glenergy will be installing the other charger in Yarra Glen.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Jim Child, said the installation of the charging stations would mean the Yarra Ranges would be much better equipped and connected for EV travel.
“Our municipality is large and diverse, so these additional charging stations will significantly reduce any range anxiety by EV users while they travel throughout the Yarra Ranges,” Cr Child said.
“These public fast chargers will mean that current EV owners, and hopefully prospective EV owners, will be a maximum 80km return trip to any charge point in the municipality.
“This should also give our regional townships a boost in attracting more EV visitors to the region.
“This is also great news for our own fleet of EVs, with a key action in our Liveable Climate Plan being to transform our entire fleet to zero emissions technology by 2030.
“To do that, we need to have the proper vehicle charging infrastructure in place, so this is a great step in that direction.
“This EVCCF funding follows the recent success from community group Yarra Glenergy who, through their work and partnership with Council and the State Government’s DCAV Program, are about to install a 50kW fast charger in Yarra Glen. The DCAV Program will install approximately 141 EV fast-charging stations within approximately 116 high-use areas and tourist spots across regional and metropolitan Victoria.
“I’d like to thank the State Government for the EVCCF and DCAV programs funding support, which will make things easier for our current community members with an EV, but also hopefully attract new EV owners in the future.”
The four private council fleet charging stations funded by EVCCF, the three public fast-charging stations funded by DCAV and Evie Networks and the fast-charger funded by DCAV and Yarra Glenergy are set to be installed by July 2023. The Yarra Glenergy site in Yarra Glen is expected to be the first project completed in the coming months.
Council is committed to achieving its target of reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions by 60% on 2005 levels by 2025 and to zero emissions by 2040. Council has recently achieved 100% renewable electricity purchase to work towards ensuring its facilities are more energy efficient and resilient.
Community members wishing to learn more about the benefits of EVs can attend an upcoming event by Healesville CORE at The Memo in Healesville on 13 August, details here.
To view Council’s Liveable Climate Plan, visit https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Council/Corporate-documents/Policies-strategies/Yarra-Ranges-Liveable-Climate-Plan.
