Randwick City Council residents will have access to 100 new electric vehicle (EV) charging spaces by the end of 2025 as part of a joint council effort to support residents to make the switch to EVs.

The ‘Charging the East’ initiative, an electric vehicle project coordinated through Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra councils, will increase the number of EV charging spots in the Randwick City Council area alone from 40 to 140 in less than 18 months.

Randwick Mayor Philipa Veitch said the three councils have worked together for years to install chargers for public use and that the recent new state government funding announcement will boost their combined efforts to support residents to make the switch to electric.

“Providing infrastructure to support residents to go electric is the single greatest thing local governments can do to reduce emissions in our areas, and we know there’s significant demand for EVs in our communities.

“There are already around 4,000 electric vehicles on roads across Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra LGAs, and that number has been doubling year on year.

“But while lots more residents would love to switch to an electric vehicle, the relatively small number of public charging facilities has, until now, presented a barrier for people living in apartment buildings and homes without off-street parking.”

Thanks to recent funding announcements by the NSW State Government, a total of 250 new spaces will be installed across the eastern suburbs, bringing the total number of charging spots for public use from 100 to 350.

The three councils have been awarded a combined $1 million to expand the council-owned network by 91 chargers, including a combination of kerbside ‘AC’ and fast ‘DC’ chargers.

The councils will also facilitate private companies – who have also been awarded state government EV grants – to install the remaining 162 charging ports.

The locations of the new charging ports will soon be announced, subject to consultation, electrical and traffic approvals.

In 2019 Randwick, Waverley and Woollahra were the first councils in NSW to establish a network of Council owned charging stations, powered by 100% renewable electricity.

In November 2023, the three councils endorsed ‘Leading the Charge: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy’, outlining the vision and infrastructure required to meet growing numbers of EVs in their areas. The group recently appointed a full time EV Project Manager, the first such council position in NSW.

As EV usage grows, the councils have been trialing innovative charging technologies, including retrofitting chargers on wooden street poles at 21 locations; installing five charging stations into new multi-function poles at Glenayr Ave, Bondi and partnering with the private sector to set up charging hubs in council carparks.

Media enquiries
Joshua Hay – 0402 351 459 or joshua.hay@randwick.nsw.gov.au
Matthew Phillips – 0408 541 717 or matt.phillips@randwick.nsw.gov.au