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

First-hand experience of owning and using an electric vehicle will be the focus of discussion by a knowledgeable panel of speakers at the free community ‘Green Drinks’ event coming up Thursday, February 15 at Ballarat’s Bunch of Grapes Hotel.

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

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 25 February 10 am – 3:30 pm at Royal Park Buninyong, which also features local EV owners. 

In 2023 Campbell coordinated the Good Car Company’s Show & Shine event in Ballarat, which gave 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 last 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 interested are welcome to get along with questions to put to the panel on Thursday 15th February and take the opportunity to find out what owning an EV is like at first hand.

The Green Drinks event happens 6.30pm-8pm at the Bunch of Grapes Hotel in Pleasant Street, Ballarat. It is a freebook event through TryBooking online.

Words & image: Eve Lamb

ELECTRIC vehicle owners are keenly watching to see when the newly installed charge station at Creswick will come online.
It’s one of three being installed under a collaboration involving Hepburn Shire Council, the state government, Chargefox and Hepburn Energy.
New charge stations are also set to be installed at Hepburn Springs and at Trentham over coming months, while the new Creswick station is next to the town’s visitor information centre.
This follows Chargefox securing $89,500 through the Victorian Government’s Destination Charging Across Victoria Program to enable installation of the new 50kW DC fast-chargers at the three locations.
The program is the first launched under the Acceleration of Zero Emissions Vehicle Adoption Program – part of the Zero Emissions Vehicle Roadmap. The Roadmap is a $100 million package of policies and programs to encourage the adoption of zero emissions vehicles.
The program aims to install about 141 EV fast-charging stations at 116 key tourist destinations and high-use locations across Victoria by July this year with the charging stations to be deployed on the Chargefox network, the largest EV charging network in Australia.
“We are excited to expand our network in the Hepburn Shire, which is a beacon of sustainability initiatives,” Evan Beaver, head of Charging at Chargefox, said.
Hepburn Shire mayor Cr Brian Hood said the Creswick station would open soon.
“Connection to the network is under way and it just needs to be tested and then there’ll be an opening.”
Each of the new 50kW DC fast-chargers are to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and availability of underground electricity supply has been a key factor in determining the locations for the new charge stations.
A little further down the track, the installation of a new EV charge station is also slated for Clunes. “We’ve got a further one planned for Clunes. It’s a ‘this-year’ project. That will take the number to five,” Cr Hood said.
Into the longer term, a second EV charge station is also mooted for Daylesford, complementing the town’s existing charge station located outside the town hall. And an EV charge station is also planned for Glenlyon as part of “the longer term plan”.
Installation of the new charge stations is just one of multiple efforts being made
by Hepburn Shire to drive down carbon emissions, Cr Hood says.
Under the council’s Sustainable Hepburn strategy it’s also aiming to make inroads
in areas including regenerative farming, transitioning its own light vehicle fleet to
electric, and establishing a circular economy. It’s currently employing its first circular
economy officer.
“Together with the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and Hepburn Energy
we’re also looking into neighbourhood battery storage. We’re doing feasibility and
technical studies into how it would work and what role local government would
play.”
As to the new charge station at Creswick, Clunes EV owner Patrick Hockey, pictured above, is among the many closely watching – and discussing – the movements in this space.
“The convenience and economy of using an EV is profound,” Mr Hockey said.
“Making charging infrastructure available is a no-brainer. The location (of the
Creswick charger) will be very convenient, near the supermarket.
“I’d like to see a rank of 12 as the next step.”