The NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change (as part of the Net Zero Plan Stage 1) has introduced a grant with a quota to assist over 125 residential strata apartment buildings in NSW to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure within their carparks. Applications are now opened.
What this means is that owners corporation apartment residents may be able to charge their electric vehicles at home (within their building) without seeking electric ports elsewhere!
Eligibility Criteria (briefly)
Building owners must meet the eligibility criteria:
- A registered residential strata scheme in NSW, classified as a class 2 building;
- Class 2 buildings need to have 10 or more units with private off-street parking.
2 stages of funding
The EV ready buildings grant will provide co-funding in two stages:
- Stage 1 – Feasibility assessment for the installation of EV charging infrastructure will be conducted. An applicant is required to fund $2,000 (excluding GST) to an independent consultant allocated by the NSW Government prior to the assessment commencing. The NSW Government will subsidise the remaining cost of the feasibility assessment. If you have already conducted your own feasibility assessment (note, from experience, some electricity providers such as Energy Australia and Origin already have programs about these EV roll out plans and feasibility reports), the NSW Government will review it at no cost to determine its suitability for stage 2 of the grant.
- Stage 2 – The grant will fund 80% towards the cost of retrofitting the electrical infrastructures to make the building EV ready and is capped at a total value of $80,000 excluding GST per application. Electrical infrastructure upgrades include but are not limited to:
- Load management systems;
- Cabling;
- network upgrades.
Funding may also cover up to 4 chargers per site which must be available to all residents.
The government will also co-fund 50% towards the cost of software subscriptions for load management and share charger billing usage capabilities for 2 years however it is an optional feature (capped at total value of $1,200 excluding GST per application).
Our comments
EV charger(s) should be individually metered with an added portion that goes to help with the ongoing maintenance and upkeep, so not to unnecessarily burden other lot owners that do not use EV vehicles.
If a lot owner wants a EV charger within their own carpsace, that should be conceptually fine so long as it is individually metered, be responsible for the costs (including the fire risk) and does not obstruct or interfere with others.
That said, regardless of who uses the EV chargers in the building, it may be generally beneficial for all lot owners and occupiers at some level, as being “EV ready” may well value-add to the building (and the individual lots), noting that the EV vehicles are rolling in one way or another (or so it seems)!
Also, electricity providers may also have their own incentives to assist with getting the building EV ready as no doubt, the switch from petrol to electric would greatly benefit the electricity providers in the long run.
More Information
Please contact our Property/ Strata law team at Matthews Folbigg Lawyers. If you would like advice or assistance in drafting the necessary by-laws, please contact Eadz Tang on (02) 9806 7428 or Eadzt@matthewfolbigg.com.au.
