The NSW government is offering grants of up to $40,000 to fund the installation of up to 3,500 electric vehicle charging facilities at the state’s regional tourist sites.
NSW treasurer and energy minister Matt Kean said grants of between $2,000 and $40,000 will be offered per tourist location, as part of a $20 million effort to establish ‘Australia’s largest destination charging network.’
“EVs are growing in popularity and this will help ensure our regional areas have the charging stations needed to welcome EV-driving visitors,” Kean said.
The grants will be offered on a co-funding basis, with destinations expected to contribute to the cost of installing the charging facilities.
The state government grants can be used to cover up to 75 per cent of the purchase cost of up to four AC destination chargers, 75 per cent of the cost of installation, and up to 50 per cent of a two-year charger software subscription.
According to the NSW government, eligible tourist destinations include motels, wineries, cafes, restaurants, natural attractions, visitor information centres, museums and zoos.
For sites to be eligible, they will need to be located within a regional NSW local government area, and have no more than one existing EV charging station.
The NSW government says the installation of charging facilities could provide a major boost for destination operators, attracting new visitors, prompting them to spend time (and potentially money) at the site, while also improving their visitor experience.
NSW regional transport minister Sam Farraway said that regional ‘tourist drives’ would be developed and promoted to attract EV-drivers to the regional tourist destinations, while providing confidence to EV drivers that sufficient charging facilities will be available at their destination.
“This will grow local economies and support small businesses in areas impacted by Covid, bushfires and floods,” Farraway said.
The NSW government has committed a total of $171 million in funding over four years to boost the state’s public electric vehicle charging network.
The Perrotett government has previously committed $35 million towards the installation of 1,000 ultra-fast charging stations across New South Wales, as well as $20 million towards charging facilities at commuter car parks.
The NSW government has set a target, under its Electric Vehicle Strategy, to boost electric vehicle sales to at least 52 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030.
Applications for the grants, which can be submitted by eligible tourist sites, are already open.
Michael Mazengarb is a journalist with RenewEconomy, based in Sydney. Before joining RenewEconomy, Michael worked in the renewable energy sector for more than a decade.