Councils welcome $490 million NSW Government Electric Vehicle investment

 By SASHA FOOT

The NSW Government’s announcement to incentivise electric vehicle (EV) use has been received positively by Inner West and City of Sydney Councils.

The Inner West Council has declared their particular support for the Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy.    

“Council is now keen to work with the NSW Government to encourage EV uptake in the Inner West,” a Council spokesperson told City Hub.     

The Inner West Council’s Electric Vehicle Encouragement Policy will come later this year.  

“Council appreciates that [the NSW Government] are moving in the same direction.”  

Greens candidate for the upcoming Inner West Council elections Dylan Griffiths echoed similar sentiments.

“There are some great things in the NSW package to incentivise EV uptakes … committing to putting the infrastructure in place will now help accelerate the market in NSW,” Griffiths told City Hub.

The State Government’s EV strategy considers accessibility as crucial for the transition.    

“These incentives will make electric vehicles accessible and affordable for all NSW residents,” Treasurer Dominic Perrottet stated.

For every five kilometres on Sydney’s major roads, there will be ultra-fast chargers. Car parks in Sydney will also have charging stations installed.     

Charging conflict

Residents with insufficient access to off-street parking will benefit from ultra-fast chargers within a five-kilometre radius of their homes.     

The City of Sydney however wants charging to happen away from inner-city roads.     

“Electric vehicle charging should take place primarily off-street, through a combination of charging facilities in residential, shopping centres and commercial buildings,” a City of Sydney spokesperson said to City Hub.    

A major part of NSW’s scheme will be the removal of stamp duty on electric vehicles that cost less than $78,000 from September 2021.    

This means road charges will take precedence over stamp duty once 30% of new car sales are electric.    

The introduction of a road user charge concerns Griffiths. 

“This will hurt the poorest in our community … it would effectively make every road a toll road,” he said.  

Another government incentive is giving $3,000 rebates to the first 25,000 electric vehicles sold from September, eligible for vehicles costing less than $68,000.     

The City of Sydney has already invested in electric vehicles since going carbon neutral in 2007.     

“The fleet currently includes 19 electric cars, 40 hybrid cars, 70 hybrid trucks and one fully electric truck…” a Council spokesperson said.     

Lord Mayor Clover Moore passed a motion on Monday night that all new commercial and residential buildings will require mandatory EV charging infrastructure.    

The Inner West Council have recognised “the growing demand for electric vehicles” but remain in the preliminary stages of electric vehicle uptake.     

The Council has said the electric vehicle encouragement policy will align with the Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy.    

A motion for council delivered by Mayor Darcy Byrne will address the Council’s transition to electric vehicles on July 6th.