Kerbside EV charging comes to Bellingen Shire
Published on 20 August 2024
Photo: Bellingen Shire Council’s Group Leader – Sustainable Environment and Waste and local resident, Sam Tate
Bellingen Shire Council is pleased to announce the installation of two new EV charging stations in the townships of Bellingen and Urunga
Council staff worked closely with Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure company EVX, who deliver convenient kerbside charging to regional Australia, to launch two of its Australian-made dual EVX pole chargers in Bellingen Shire. The two new chargers are located at William St Bellingen and Morgo St Urunga and are now open to the public.
As an alternative to waiting for highway-adjacent ‘rapid charging’, kerbside EV charging allows users to benefit from charging while stopping incidentally at their destination. This type of charging infrastructure is quick to install and is proving critical to tackling bottlenecks at other charging facilities, particularly during holiday periods.
Bellingen Shire Council General Manager, Mark Griffioen, remarked, “Our Shire recently achieved Eco Destination Certification, recognising our commitment to global sustainability standards. The provision of EV charging infrastructure is another important step towards encouraging sustainable tourism and attracting visitors who share our respect for the environment.”
EVX CEO, Andrew Forster added, “Bellingen is a bustling town and road trip holiday destination, but to date, the charging infrastructure hasn’t met the demand – particularly during key holiday periods where we are seeing queues at rapid charging stations along the main highways, up and down the coast;”
“As the number of EVs on Australia’s roads continues to increase, the availability of charging opportunities needs to increase too. We are thrilled to be part of the solution to bring more EV charging to Bellingen Shire.”
Bellingen Shire Council’s Group Leader – Sustainable Environment & Waste, and local resident, Sam Tate, who owns an EV, is excited to see this project come to fruition.
“It’s great that community members will now have more options for EV charging. This will make it easier for people to transition to electric vehicles, which will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. With Council having declared a Climate Emergency in 2019, and transport being the largest source of community emissions, it’s important to take a proactive approach.”
The installation of these two new chargers in Bellingen Shire highlights the Council’s strong commitment to sustainability. By leading and collaborating with local businesses and the community, we are making significant strides toward achieving the Community Vision 2035 of a sustainable Shire. This initiative, outlined in our 2024/25 Operational Plan, not only supports residents in making environmentally conscious decisions about their vehicle emissions but also reinforces our broader commitment to investing in infrastructure that encourages electric vehicles and non-motorised forms of transport.