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

If you’ve ever thought about ditching your climate-change fueling petrol guzzler for an electric vehicle then now might be the time to make it happen with an EV Bulk Buy scheme set to launch in Malmsbury at the Malmsbury EV Expo on 15 April.
Climate action focussed social enterprises, the Good Car Company and Hepburn Energy are
joining forces to bring the 2023 Community EV Bulk Buy to Hepburn Shire and the broader region
of Central Victoria.

In addition to offering affordable second-hand and new EVs a $1000 discount
Voucher will apply to listed EV prices.
If 50 locals join in by buying an electric vehicle through the Bulk Buy, over five years the central
Victorian community will have accumulated to $440,000 in EV benefits and reduced carbon
emissions by 650 tonnes.
Transport is the largest source of carbon emissions in Australian households. Changing your
internal combustion engine car to an electric one saves at least 2.6 tonnes of carbon emissions
every year (assuming the car is charged from the grid).

Australia’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and cars are responsible for roughly half of these emissions.
“Hundreds of Australians are now driving 100% electric cars because of our bulk-buy campaigns”
according to company co-founder Anthony Broese van Groenou.
“The EV Bulk Buy will offer more affordable prices for quality used Nissan Leafs, the Peugeot
e2008 SUV, electric vans as well as access to straightforward Novated Leases on new Polestar 2
and Tesla Models 3 and Y,” he said.
Taryn Lane of Hepburn Energy said they had teamed up with the Good Car Company a second
time alongside local climate groups to help people wanting electric cars to get them at a more
reasonable price.
“Buying an EV is a key piece of the climate action puzzle for Australian households, but it’s often
seen as being too expensive for most people. As an affordable pathway, we are pleased to be
running the second EV bulk buy for the region with the Good Car Company and local partners
BREAZE, Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group, Moorabool Environment Group, Trentham
Sustainability Group and Transition Creswick ” said Taryn.
Residents in the region are being invited to join the Hepburn Energy 2023 EV Bulk Buy by signing up online at https://www.goodcar.co/hepburn23.

The campaign runs from 15 April to 15 May and anyone can register to learn more about EVs, receive all event invitations, take a test drive, ask questions, learn about the available models and/or purchase an EV.