Byron Shire Council has added four new Electric Vehicle chargers to its carparks in Mullumbimby and Byron Bay thanks to over $18k funding from the NSW Government EV Destination Charging Grants program.

The carpark adjoining Council’s Mullumbimby offices and library, currently home to one EV charging station split over two car parking spaces, now has two new 22kW AC chargers. This brings the total number of charging stations available to the public in the Council carpark to four. The Mullumbimby EV charging stations are connected to a 99kW solar array.

In Byron Bay, there is one EV charging station split over two parking spaces in the Byron Library carpark, and now two new 7kW charging units have been installed in the Lawson Street North carpark, behind the Byron Bay Pool.

“We see the shift to electric vehicles playing an important role in reducing transport emissions in the Byron Shire, into the future, and we were thrilled to receive funding for these additional charging stations,” Council’s Sustainability Officer, Rachel Thatcher said.

“We know that the Byron Shire has the highest EV ownership in the Northern Rivers and the second highest EV ownership in regional NSW next to Queanbeyan-Palerang. 

“We have around 517 EV registrations in Byron Shire alone, and this number is expected to continue to grow,” Ms Thatcher said.

“As a tourist destination, we also need to be ready for the needs of our visitors – to help decrease the ‘range anxiety’ that is a common barrier to people buying EVs in the first place,” she said.

“Increasing EV infrastructure in the Shire is key to supporting continued uptake and aligns with our Net Zero Emissions Action Plan and Power Up Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Strategy,” Ms Thatcher said.

For more information see Council’s website.