Shoalhaven City Council searching for sites to install electric vehicle charging stations

An update to Shoalhaven City Council has outlined the state of play for local EV infrastructure, and what's being done to bring the region up to speed.

Council tabled a report about the city's approach to EV charging stations on public land at its Monday evening (July 17) meeting.

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According to the report, Ulladulla and Nowra are considered optimal locations to build EV fast chargers, as they would fill existing 'black spots' in New South Wales.

Council previously considered 20 potential sites, though some have since been ruled out. Several locations in the Shoalhaven have garnered interest from charge point operators - companies which install and maintain EV charging stations.

One new charging station is in the works at Ulladulla, while efforts to install another at Lake Tabourie are on hold to allow for electrical upgrades.

The proposed station at 85 South St, Ulladulla, plans for four fast charging bays powered by renewable energy sources; motorists would be charged based on c/kWh consumed.

Resident feedback on the proposed Ulladulla charge point was gathered in May 2023: 114 submissions were made, and 95% were supportive.

Evidently, Shoalhaven City Council has an appetite for electric vehicles, and it is making a roadmap to navigate the issues which surround them.

Allocating EV-specific spaces in already crowded council carparks was raised in the report, along with the balance of government and private industry in providing EV chargers.

"Allocating carparking spaces for EV charging, particularly in carparks where spaces are already in high demand (such as the CBD), presents an equity issue as standard carparking spaces are available to all types of vehicles, while electric vehicle charging spaces are only available to electric vehicle drivers," the report read.

"EV charging stations need to be located where carparking is adequate to meet current and future demand in order to limit the loss of carparking."

Moving forward, the council plans to pick more potential locations for EV chargers, and put a final list to the community for feedback.

The NSW Government has also identified the Shoalhaven as a priority area to build fast charging EV infrastructure.

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