EV drivers have been delighted to see Creswick’s 50kW fast charge station is finally back online.

CCTV surveillance equipment to protect the public Chargefox charge station was installed last month after the new and much anticipated charge point was taken offline after it was vandalised last August.

In recent days the station was reactivated and was quickly pressed into use by EV drivers keen to get a top-up charge. Its repair and re-activation was swiftly publicised on the online PlugShare platform from January 17.

With an ever-increasing number of motorists planning to make their next vehicle purchase an EV, first-hand experience of owning and using an electric vehicle is now set to be the focus of discussion by a knowledgeable panel of speakers at the free community ‘Green Drinks’ event happening Thursday, February 15 at Ballarat’s Bunch of Grapes Hotel.

Set to start from 6.30pm and the first talk for Green Drinks in 2024, the panel discussion will be led by BREAZE (Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions) president Campbell Mercer with four local EV owners sharing their experiences.

The panel will include: Gavin Cerini – BYD Atto 3; Paul Duggan -Tesla 3; Merle Hathaway – Mini EV; and Pat Hockey – Nissan Leaf.

The free community discussion is timed to lead into Buninyong’s Smart Living Expo on Sunday, February 25 from 10am to 3.30pm at Royal Park, Buninyong.

In 2023 Campbell Mercer coordinated the Good Car Company’s Show & Shine event in Ballarat, offering locals a chance to check out and test drive a range of second-hand EVs.

The number of new EV sales doubled in Australia over the past year, which means there will be more second-hand EVs coming on-stream, making the transition more affordable, organisers of the upcoming Green Drinks event say.

They say those who are keen to learn more about EVs are welcome to attend with questions ready to put to the panel on Thursday, February 15. Tickets: TryBooking

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

CCTV surveillance equipment to protect Creswick’s public EV charge station is scheduled for installation this week, Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas has confirmed.

The new 50kW Chargefox station, located beside the town’s visitor Information centre, was taken offline after it was vandalised in August just over three months after becoming operational, much to the disgust of the wider community keen to see progress toward achieving zero-net emissions.

Late last week Mr Thomas confirmed that CCTV equipment is set to be installed this week with  Hepburn Wind (partners in Hepburn shire’s charge station roll-out) expected to then carry out the necessary repairs to the station early in the new year.

“It won’t be up and running for Christmas, unfortunately. Disappointing but obviously we want to get the CCTV in so that it doesn’t happen again or acts as a deterrent, or if it does became vandalised again we might have some opportunity to catch the people,” Mr Thomas said.

“I haven’t got a final cost, but talking to the team, the damage ended up being a bit more costly then we expected, so obviously disappointing. It was a bit more damage then we thought.

“Obviously we want to get people to the regions over Christmas and the new year and you want to be able to encourage people to make that move to EVs. Disappointing all round. We’d rather not have to have CCTV.”

 The Hepburn CEO also confirmed that the similar new fast charge station slated for Trentham will be installed at the town’s new mechanics building, and in line with that project is expected to be in place by mid next year.

The public EV charge station earmarked for Clunes is scheduled for installation in the first quarter of 2024.

Words & Image: Eve Lamb

Words and image Eve Lamb

EV drivers have been well pleased to discover that the new fast charge station at Creswick is finally up and running. For some it can make the difference between getting home – or not.

The Local, using an all electric Nissan Leaf, put it to the test in recent days and found it reasonably fast and in useful proximity to the town’s supermarket across the main road.

The public PlugShare website, that lists the locations of charge stations Australia-wide and provides a constantly updating forum for EV drivers to share vital information, shows the new station has been in steady use since coming online mid-May.

One EV user commented on the PlugShare site: “very handy location especially as there are only 2 AC CCS2 plugs at RACV Goldfields”.

The 50 kW Chargefox station offers CCS/SAE type and CHAdeMO type charging with two dedicated parking spaces, and was installed beside the town’s Albert Street  visitor information centre in December.

It had been expected to be up and running by late February, but Business Development Specialist with Chargefox, Zachary Whittaker confirmed that commissioning had been delayed by a couple of factors.

“This project was delayed due to construction not being finished at the visitor centre and vandalism that occurred just prior to opening,” he told The Local.

The earlier vandalism had included the cutting of thin retractable rope guide lines connected to the charge guns, and some graffiti which had been spray painted in the general area.

The vandalism appeared random, however, and did not appear to have been targeting the new station as it also encompassed wider infrastructure in the immediate area and had since been fixed or cleaned up.

In the May edition of their new sustainable issues e-newsletter, council staff provided some information about the project:

“Council and Hepburn Energy are working together with Chargefox, the Victorian Government, Central Highlands Water and Fells Electrical to install three 50kW fast chargers in Creswick, Trentham and Hepburn Springs.  
“That will take the total number of public EV chargers in the shire to five …
“Watch this space for news on a public launch and full details over the coming months,” the council newsletter states.

Two months after it was scheduled for activation the new public EV charge station at Creswick
remains yet to be activated.
The 50 kW Chargefox station was installed beside the town’s visitor information centre in Albert Street in
December and had been expected to be up and running by late February.
But it still remains to be switched on, leaving local EV users asking “when?” and “why the delay?” as they
fork out the EV Road Users Charge and check the public PlugShare website, that lists locations of charge stations nationwide, for updates.
Both the Hepburn Shire Council and Hepburn Energy, collaborators in the new station’s installation,
declined to speak publicly, citing a “state government embargo”.
However The Local’s various enquiries, including of Chargefox itself, suggest the new station will likely
be activated in the next couple of weeks pending arrangements involving Chargefox and Powercor.
The PlugShare website was listing the new station as “Coming soon” while stating also that “parks have been painted and wiring begun as of 23/12/2022”. Comments posted on the site illustrate EV drivers’ frustration at finding the station still unusable.
Meanwhile the number of charge stations that are operable in Hepburn Shire does include the Creswick
RACV Forest Resort’s 7kw type 2 Chargefox free charge station, while others listed across the shire include:
Daylesford – 25kw Chargefox public charge station, front of town hall, Vincent Street & 22kw Tesla
Destination station, the Lake House, King Street.
Hepburn Springs – Hepburn Springs Recreation Reserve – two slow
charging power outlets on side of building open 24/7;
Peppers spa retreat free 10 amp slow charge wall plug for
hotel guests to use, Tenth Street
Musk – Prani Glow Day Spa 7kw Tesla Destination charger
Lyonville – Radio Springs Hotel Bed & Breakfast 14kw Tesla Destination charger
Newlyn – Newlyn Recreation Reserve, slow charge power point inside toilet block, (power outlet three metre power lead required)
Others in the area include:

Kyneton – 50.065kw Evie Network fast charger in Hutton Street;

Newstead – Newstead Enviro Shop J-1772, type 2 charge station;

Castlemaine – Castlemaine 50.065 Evie Network fast charger, Market Building carpark;
two 10 amp slow charge outlets at Castlemaine Park and Garden parking, Downes Road; 5kw Tesla Destination charge station, Campbell Street Lodge.

Woodend – 50kw Evie Network charger at 124 High Street.

In addition to the still-to-be activated Creswick site, new charge stations are slated for Hepburn Springs and Trentham in coming months after Chargefox secured $159,500 through the state’s Destination Charging Across Victoria Program to install the new 50 kW DC
fast-chargers at the three local locations and Apollo Bay.

Words and Image: Eve Lamb