Driving down emissions

ELECTRIC vehicle owners are keenly watching to see when the newly installed charge station at Creswick will come online.

It’s one of three being installed under a collaboration involving Hepburn Shire Council, the state government, Chargefox and Hepburn Energy.

New charge stations are also set to be installed at Hepburn Springs and at Trentham over coming months, while the new Creswick station is next to the town’s visitor information centre.

This follows Chargefox securing $89,500 through the Victorian Government’s Destination Charging Across Victoria Program to enable installation of the new 50kW DC fast-chargers at the three locations.

The program is the first launched under the Acceleration of Zero Emissions Vehicle Adoption Program - part of the Zero Emissions Vehicle Roadmap. The Roadmap is a $100 million package of policies and programs to encourage the adoption of zero emissions vehicles.

The program aims to install about 141 EV fast-charging stations at 116 key tourist destinations and high-use locations across Victoria by July this year with the charging stations to be deployed on the Chargefox network, the largest EV charging network in Australia.

“We are excited to expand our network in the Hepburn Shire, which is a beacon of sustainability initiatives,” Evan Beaver, head of Charging at Chargefox, said.

Hepburn Shire mayor Cr Brian Hood said the Creswick station would open soon.

“Connection to the network is under way and it just needs to be tested and then there’ll be an opening.”

Each of the new 50kW DC fast-chargers are to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and availability of underground electricity supply has been a key factor in determining the locations for the new charge stations.

A little further down the track, the installation of a new EV charge station is also slated for Clunes. “We’ve got a further one planned for Clunes. It’s a ‘this-year’ project. That will take the number to five,” Cr Hood said.

Into the longer term, a second EV charge station is also mooted for Daylesford, complementing the town’s existing charge station located outside the town hall. And an EV charge station is also planned for Glenlyon as part of “the longer term plan”.

Installation of the new charge stations is just one of multiple efforts being made by Hepburn Shire to drive down carbon emissions, Cr Hood says.

Under the council’s Sustainable Hepburn strategy it’s also aiming to make inroads in areas including regenerative farming, transitioning its own light vehicle fleet to electric, and establishing a circular economy. It’s currently employing its first circular economy officer.

“Together with the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and Hepburn Energy we’re also looking into neighbourhood battery storage. We’re doing feasibility and technical studies into how it would work and what role local government would play.”

As to the new charge station at Creswick, Clunes EV owner Patrick Hockey, pictured below, is among the many closely watching – and discussing - the movements in this space.

“The convenience and economy of using an EV is profound,” Mr Hockey said. “Making charging infrastructure available is a no-brainer. The location (of the Creswick charger) will be very convenient, near the supermarket.

“I’d like to see a rank of 12 as the next step.”

Words & image: Eve Lamb