Southern Grampians Council approves policy to attract private investment into electric vehicle chargers

Southern Grampians' new electric vehicle policy received just one public submission, but councillors have still given it the green light.

Following a four-week consultation period, the Southern Grampians Shire Council has formally adopted its Electric Vehicle Charging Policy, which will guide decisions about where and how charging stations are installed across the shire.

New guidelines for electric vehicle charging stations

At the March 12 council meeting, Director of Infrastructure and Sustainability Marg Scanlon presented the report following a community consultation phase, noting the minimal formal engagement despite apparent interest in the topic.

Scanlon explained the policy would establish guidelines for decision-making about electric vehicle charging stations throughout the shire. In her presentation to the council, she acknowledged that only a single submission had been received during the community engagement period, yet still recommended the policy's adoption.

"The period for consultation was our minimum standard four weeks,” said Scanlon. “It's not uncommon to receive low numbers.”

"As we said in the report, we also do receive enquiries from people coming to the Southern Grampians visiting or for business purposes and making a comment about the lack of EV charging. That's something that's been quite topical over the last 12–18 months."

The average regional growth rate of electric vehicle registrations in Victoria is growing “strongly” at 23 percent, with just over 11,500 sales tracked by the Victorian government in its most recent 2023 data.

Who pays for the new EV future?

Councillor Adam Campbell sought clarification on who would bear the costs of implementing the new infrastructure.

"A lot of this policy is around private companies coming in and setting up these EV charging places, rather than council spending the money on them, correct?" Campbell asked.

Scanlon confirmed this approach but left the door open for potential council investment with state or federal government support.

Despite the minimal public engagement in the formal consultation process, the motion to adopt the Electric Vehicle Charging Policy was carried by the council.

The new policy establishes a framework that will allow the shire to potentially attract private investment in EV infrastructure while also positioning the council to take advantage of future state or federal funding opportunities.

_{Thumbnail: Southern Grampians Shire Council}