By Jessica Micallef
Electric vehicle charging stations could be on the cards for Hume to bridge a “glaring gap” of stations across Melbourne.
Hume council will prepare a report exploring the opportunities, benefits and costs of installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the municipality.
The report will also include potential methods of supporting and encouraging private investment in electric vehicle infrastructure to complement any council owned facilities, as well as examples of infrastructure and support provided by other Victorian councils.
Cr Jarrod Bell said a recent trip to country Victoria sparked the idea to consider installing electric stations in Hume.
“I was travelling through Heathcote … and I was pleased and pleasantly surprised to see in the middle of this beautiful country town in central Victoria a number of electric vehicle charging points,” he said.
“I had a look at the map on various apps and websites that provide charging locations across Victoria and you can see in Melbourne, there seems to be a glaring gap right between the City of Melton and the City of Whittlesea.
“Electric vehicles may not be the ultimate solution to our fossil fuel challenges but they are definitely part of the future and the solution.
“I think council has a really important role in supporting this and encouraging our residents to seek a greener transport option that is potentially supporting electric vehicle charging infrastructure.”
Cr Jodi Jackson welcomed the potential for electric vehicle charging stations across Hume.
“This has been a topic of many discussion with the sustainability taskforce over the years [and] we have been looking at ways we can minimise our own greenhouse gas emissions and also those of our community,” she said.
“I also was in regional Victoria over the Australia Day long weekend and I was also surprised to see some quite modest towns boasting some very fancy electric charging stations.”
