A NEW electric vehicle (EV) charging station could soon be installed in the Riverland, with a local council exploring funding options for a new site.
At last month’s Berri Barmera Council meeting elected members passed a motion, introduced by Cr Adrian Little, to provide in-principle support for additional EV chargers in the district, particularly in Barmera, and to investigate the relevant costs.
The decision comes as the Department for Energy and Mining seeks expressions of interest for prospective sites for a statewide EV charging network, with the State Government set to invest up to $13.4 million to expand the network.
Council chief executive officer Karyn Burton said staff would consider lodging an application for Barmera to be part of the network.
“We’ll look into whether we will put an expression of interest in under this prospectus to see if we can progress that in Barmera,” she said.
An EV fast-charging station, fully funded and operated by the NRMA, was installed in a carpark on the corner of Ahern and Gilbert Street in Berri last December.
The charging speed of the station will depend on its location and surrounding electricity infrastructure.
“The NRMA one in Berri is a fast charger that takes about 30 minutes for a charge,” Ms Burton said.
“If it’s a slow charger you can put it on overnight, and would probably be a cheaper installation.”
The Department for Energy and Mining’s list of potential sites for chargers include shopping centres, supermarkets, carparks, town centres, council-owned sites, public amenities and accommodation providers.
About $25 million will also be invested into the EV charging network by the private sector.