Lane Cove Council is one of 11 councils in NSW to trial electric vehicle chargers on power poles.
Local street-side power poles will be turned into electric vehicle (EV) charging stations under an Australian first trial across NSW’s Sydney and Hunter regions.
It’s supported by the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARNEA) with a $871,000 grant.
In December 2022, Lane Cove Council resolved to participate in the ARENA-funded trial of on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging with Intellihub.
The trial will involve 50 street-side locations across all the LGAs, with each station connected to the overhead electricity from 100% GreenPower.
Smart metering and data intelligence provider Intellihub will lead the project, working with Lane Cove Council to investigate suitable locations for the Schneider 7.4kW EV chargers. EV drivers can pay for charging through an app, but parking will be free.
Intellihub identified 11 sites in the Lane Cove Council area suitable for installing an electric vehicle charger on a power pole.
The proposed sites were:
- Opposite 20 Phoenix Street (angle parking), Lane Cove
- Opposite 11 Little Street (angle parking), Lane Cove
- 192 – 194 Longueville Road, Lane Cove
- 7 – 8 Howarth Street, Lane Cove
- Kenneth Street, rear of the property of no 5 Northwood Road, Longueville
- 72 Christie Street, St Leonards
- North Side of Oxley Street from Christie Street to Nicholson Street, St Leonards
- 398 – 400 Mowbray Street West, Lane Cove North
- 15 – 21 Mindarie Street, Lane Cove North
- 2 – 4 Pinaroo Place, Lane Cove North • 21 Sirius Road (angle parking), Lane Cove West
After Lane Cove Council requested comments from nearby residents (not the general population), Lane Cove Council is proposing 7 locations.
Lane Cove Council noted that community consultation showed EV power pole chargers were supported by the residents at high-density developments but not at low-density developments.
The following seven sites are recommended for approval:
Electric Vehicles Only While Charging at
-
- Opposite 20 Phoenix Street, Lane Cove
- Opposite 11 Little Street, Lane Cove
- 72 Christie Street, St Leonards
- Northside of Oxley Street (from Christie Street to Nicholson Street), St Leonards
- 15 – 21 Mindarie Street, Lane Cove North
- 2 – 4 Pinaroo Place, Lane Cove North
- 21 Sirius Road Lane Cove West
Drivers can charge for 2 hours between 8:00 am – 6:00 pm, Mon-Sun.
Lane Cove Councillors must approve these locations at their 24 August 2023 Meeting. If you would like to address Lane Cove Councillors about the impact of EV chargers at these locations, you can register to speak at the public forum. To register, click here.
Mayor Andrew Zbik has previously said Lane Cove Council’s sustainability ethos supported the uptake of EVs.
“Council leads by example, having earlier this year switched to 100% renewable energy in our facilities and streetlights.
“Council has one of the largest local government charging networks with 15 free and two paid EV charging stations:
Eight at The Canopy car park (including two paid fast charging)
4 in the Little Street car park
Five at Market Square Car Park
In early 2023, 4 free and two paid EV charging stations opened in Council’s new car park at St Leonard’s.”
“Council’s fleet of cars includes 3 EVs as a pilot project, with plans to further expand this under development.
“We’re at an important tipping point for the adoption of EVs, and Council can support our community through increased access to charging.”
Fines
In November 2022, the NSW government introduced a new law which could see drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles fined up to $2200 for illegally parking in an electric-car charging spot. The fine also applies to parking an electric vehicle in a charging station but not charging. Read more here.
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