Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations - Proposed 20 year lease or license of land at four locations

Council decision/outcomes

During the consultation period 104 feedback form responses were received. There was majority support for a lease or licence for all potential sites, ranging from 67% (Harpers Field) to 75% (Turramurra Recreation Centre). Opposition levels across the four potential sites averaged 16%.

At its meeting on Tuesday 23 April 2024, Council considered the feedback received from the community and made the following decisions:

• Considers that the inclusion of electric vehicle charging stations on the sites referred to in the Council report will be of benefit to the community and approves the CEO to:

1. Formalise the arrangement for Council’s consideration with Energy Australia and progress the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations at selected sites
2. Amend the relevant Community Land Management Plans to include electric vehicle charging stations upon installation of the infrastructure.

The Council report acknowledged that some concerns were raised by residents relating to traffic controls and safety of equipment. These will be addressed in the detailed site-specific risk assessments and design. The Council report also noted, as per the project principles, that “there is to be no financial cost to Council through the lifetime of the arrangement. It is the expectation of Council that all necessary infrastructure will be installed, commissioned, operated and decommissioned by the service provider”.

Read the community engagement outcomes report

Read the Council report (Council Meeting - Notice, Agenda & Reports - 23 April 2024 - see pages 207 - 300)

Read the Council Meeting minutes - 23 April 2024

Background

Council is seeking feedback from the community about the proposed 20 year lease or licence of land for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at four potential sites across the City.

The City of Tea Tree Gully currently has three EV charging stations; one at Modbury Park ‘n’ Ride, one at the Pickled Duck in Modbury and the provision for one at the Golden Grove Park ‘n’ Ride for future activation. Council recognises the increasing expectation that EV charging stations are available across our City.

At the request of Elected Members, Council staff have investigated options for the provision and installation of further EV charging stations in our City. This included identifying potential Council managed sites and seeking a suitable partner to provide the charging stations. A two-stage Expression of Interest process resulted in Energy Australia being the preferred supplier for the charging stations.

After considering site current and future usage, Council staff shortlisted four potential sites:

• Tilley Recreation Park (Surrey Downs)
• Harpers Field Community Building and Sporting Club (Greenwith)
• Turramurra Recreation Centre (Highbury)
• Golden Fields (Golden Grove)

A site would include a fast-charging station including:

• 50kW or 120kW (dual port) chargers
• Provision for 4-6 car parks
• A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) 233kWh or 466kWh – to support operations of the EV charging points and to provide a more resilient electricity supply

Example images of what the charging stations and batteries look like are here. An information handout can be found here.

The EV charging stations would meet the design requirements for accessible parking provisions (i.e. width of car park, surface treatment etc). The EV charging station installation process would take place over two stages.

The basis of an agreement with Energy Australia would include:

• that there is no cost to Council through the lifetime of the arrangement . All necessary infrastructure will be installed, commissioned, operated and decommissioned by Energy Australia
• Council will not own or manage the charging station infrastructure and service delivery
• The expectation that an EV charging station has a 95% uptime

The proposed term for the lease is 20 years, which may be negotiable by including extension provisions. The Local Government Act requires that before granting a lease or licence relating to community land greater than five years, Council must consult with their community.

To get involved and have your say:

• Register here (if you haven't already, otherwise you can sign in when prompted)
• Provide feedback by completing the online feedback form
• Have a question? Ask us here. Have a look to see what questions have already been answered before
• An Easy Read version of this Project page is also available

We value your comments and would appreciate your feedback by 5pm Wednesday 20 March 2024.

All feedback received will be presented to Council for its consideration before the locations are finalised. Selection of sites and locations/parking bays for the EV chargers will be determined based on technical feasibility and community feedback.

If you need assistance to participate in this consultation, please call Jon Herd on 8397 7444 or send us a message