The number of Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers will soar to 30,000 across the State by 2026 under a re-elected NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.
The NSW Liberals and Nationals will fast track the rollout of its public and private EV charging plans by:
· Reforming strata laws to make it easier for people living in apartments to charge their EV
· Installing EV chargers throughout NSW transport hubs including commuter carparks and train, bus and ferry stations
· Streamlining planning laws to accelerate the construction of chargers in public places like on power poles and parking meters
Treasurer Matt Kean said with more than one million EVs expected to hit NSW roads by 2030, the Government is already investing $209 million to ensure a comprehensive world-class charging network across NSW.
“We want all drivers to be able to recharge whenever and wherever they need to, whether it’s on a road trip, commuting to work or at home,” Mr Kean said.
Minister for Planning and Homes Anthony Roberts said that the Liberal and Nationals Government is only days away from streamlining planning laws to make it easier to install EV chargers in public places like on power poles and parking meters.
“We know that 30 per cent of drivers can’t access off-street parking and will rely on public chargers, which is why we are cutting red tape to roll them out even faster,” Mr Roberts said.
Minister for Fair Trading Victor Dominello said a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will work closely with stakeholders on developing “Right to Charge” strata reforms, meaning where apartment owners are willing to pay the cost and comply with strict safety requirements, their requests to install EV chargers cannot be unreasonably refused.
“These reforms will make it as easy as possible for people living in one of the 84,000 apartment buildings in NSW to install a charger, without passing on unfair costs to other residents,” Mr Dominello said.
Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said the Government was set to roll out EV chargers in transport hubs across our train, bus and ferry network.
“Commuter carparks are a great option for EV drivers to recharge while at work, making sure they can hit the road fully charged by the end of the day,” Mr Elliott said.
Switching to an EV can save motorists about $1,000 in running costs each year. There are currently about 1,000 public chargers in NSW.
The 30,000 EV chargers will be more than twice the number of existing petrol pumps in NSW.
These reforms build on the NSW Government’s nation leading Electric Vehicle Strategy, ranked equal 1st in the country, which includes:
· $209 million for EV charging infrastructure
· No stamp duty on EVs under $78,000
· $3,000 rebates for EVs under $68,750
· Transitioning the State’s entire 8,000 plus bus fleet to zero emissions
· Allowing EVs to drive in transit lanes
Sites for the first stage of the transport hubs EV chargers:
· Barclay Road (North Rocks) commuter carpark
· Beverly Hills commuter carpark
· Emu Plains commuter carpark
· Revesby commuter carpark
· Riverwood commuter carpark
· St Marys commuter carpark
· Warwick Farm commuter carpark
· West Ryde commuter carpark