A $50,000 grant provided through Victorian electricity and gas network company AusNet’s Energy Resilience Community Fund has helped deliver an electric vehicle (EV) charger backed by a 40 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery storage system in the small town of Alexandra.
AusNet announced on Monday that a $50,000 grant from its Energy Resilience Community Fund provided to the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) has helped deliver 40 kWh of battery storage and an EV charger to complement the existing 45 kWh solar system at the TLaWC’s office in Alexandra.
The TLaWC represents the Taungurung people of Central Victoria, whose traditional lands encompass the area between the upper reaches of the Goulburn River and its tributaries north of the Dividing Range, from Campaspe River to Kilmore in the west, eastwards to Mount Beauty, from Benalla in the north down to the top of the Great Dividing Range.
Describing itself as the “corporate representative and ‘face’” of the Taungurung people, the TLaWC works to uphold their interests with respect to culture and country.
The addition EV charger and battery system will ensure the TLaWC’s Alexandra office and community complex – located adjacent to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) regional office – is able to continue operating even during power outages.
“This upgrade means TLaWC can stay open and connected during power outages, supporting both community services and emergency response and keeping Taungurung people on country,” said Kim Sullivan, AusNet Energy Resilience Community Fund manager.
“The new EV charger will use excess solar generation and adds much needed local charging capacity, as one of only two EV chargers in Alexandra.”
The TLaWC and DEECA regional sites are important locations during emergencies in the region, as was highlighted during recent fires in the region when they helped provide a safe place for people to remain connected, charge phones and devices, support coordination efforts, and ensure the continuity of essential community services.
The TLaWC’s Alexandra office also supports the wider community including local groups such as the Alexandra Community Shed and the Eildon and Districts Woodworkers Guild.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.