EV charging station concern

By Matt Romania

As we see more electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads, one resident is calling for EV charging points in the Moorabool Shire.

Esther McCluskey compared not having a charging station to that of not having petrol stations.

“Imagine the outrage,” she said.

“Let’s face it electric vehicles are becoming very popular.”

Ms McCluskey said government incentives, novated leasing, and doing the right thing by the environment made it ‘no brainer’ to purchase an EV, but the lack of charging stations nearby came as a shock.

“When purchasing an EV, we were shown an app (PlusShare). We were amazed at how many charging stations are around. We moved back here (Moorabool) and were surprised that no charging stations were here.”
And it is not just a personal inconvenience, Ms McCluskey is concerned that Moorabool is missing out on tourism, the lack of chargers on the map stopping tourists from making our Shire a destination point for road trips.

“Everywhere we have travelled to date have had chargers, some free, some you need to pay for, either way you have a choice,” she said.

“We charge ours at home but there is the odd occasion we need to use a fast charger. But more importantly, where would a tourist charge when visiting our shire?”

Derek Madden, CEO of Moorabool Shire Council, told The Moorabool News that electric vehicle charging is on the agenda for Moorabool.

“Council is actively engaged in exploring opportunities for implementing public electric vehicle charging points within the shire.

“We understand the economic advantages and tourism benefits associated with offering charging to electric vehicle owners,” he said.