Help drive change: Wagga Council asks for public feedback on draft EV policy

Owners of electric vehicles are being urged to consult with Wagga Wagga Council to improve the EV-charging infrastructure around the city.

Interested people have until 28 June to inspect the public exhibition of the draft land policy, and can submit concerns or recommendations to the council until 8 July.

The draft policy has been introduced to help Wagga Wagga align with national, state and local governments’ net-zero emissions targets.

The policy looks to help drive the transition away from the use of internal-combustion engine vehicles and meet the needs of the growing number of people who have already made the switch to electric vehicles.

Environment and regulatory services manager Mark Gardiner said the policy would give the council scope for future assessments for anyone wanting to install EV-charging stations on council-managed land in Wagga Wagga.

“The policy is designed for when council is approached by private entities wishing to install electric vehicle chargers on public land, like the charging station currently situated in the Tarcutta Street carpark,” Mr Gardiner said.

“It gives council parameters to do an assessment on things like location, parking, installation and maintenance.

“While the draft policy is on exhibition, we are inviting members of the public to provide any suggestions on what they recommend be included or excluded from the policy.”

A report presented to the council at last week’s ordinary meeting showed that electric vehicle sales in Australia had increased by 65 per cent in 2022 and accounted for 3.5 per cent of all new light-vehicle car sales.

The report also showed that in the next 25 years, a majority of all new passenger vehicles will be electric.

“In light of that projected growth, council recognises that we need to be proactive to make sure Wagga Wagga is an EV-friendly city,” Mr Gardiner said.

“While it’s estimated over 80 per cent of EV charging will occur at home, the use of public chargers is mostly designed to cater for visitors to the city who are passing through or are here on holiday.”

Electric-car owner and Wagga Deputy Mayor Jenny McKinnon said she hoped to see faster chargers in more popular areas of the city.

“They (chargers) need to be well located and practical,” Cr McKinnon said.

“There is no point having chargers on the outskirts of town where only a select amount of people can access them, they need to be placed in areas where travellers from Adelaide or Sydney can access them but also enjoy the food and shops that Wagga has to offer.

“It’s the same thing for Wagga residents as well. When people travel to the Sturt Mall or the Market Place or even the cinema, it makes sense for them to be able to charge their cars while shopping.”

Cr McKinnon also supports the idea of private operators installing ultra-fast chargers in commercial areas.

“Council won a grant to build free EV chargers at Bolton Park and Apex. That’s all well and good but they are slow,” she said.

“If we have fast chargers at council parking on streets like Peter Street and Fitzhardinge Street, people with electric cars will be able to shop for 30 minutes to an hour and by the time they’re back, their cars are charged.”

To view the draft Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure on Public Land Policy or make a submission to the council, click here.