Council moves to scrap electric vehicle charger at Busselton foreshore

The City of Busselton council has voted to remove the only electric vehicle charger along the foreshore due to the unit approaching end of life and the rise of privately owned chargers within the region.

The ageing unit, which is only operating at about 50 per cent efficiency, has been subject to increasing periods of unavailability, with council officers noting the charger is frequently unavailable during events, when foreshore car parks are closed.

Installed in 2015 as part of the RAC Electric Highway, the charger was originally intended to support electric vehicle travel between Perth and Augusta and demonstrate the viability of EVs in regional areas.

After the 10-year operating period ended in 2025, ownership of the chargers was transferred to local governments, which were given the option to continue operating them or have them decommissioned.

Council officers noted that with the rise of private fast-chargers, such as those recently installed on West Street, the city no longer needs to provide this service.

Busselton resident Clare Paine said removing the charger overlooked growing demand for EV infrastructure.

“Right now this might only affect a small number of people, but EV ownership is growing fast and we should be planning for that instead of removing the only easily accessible public charger in Busselton,” she said.

“There are a range of issues which prevent EV owners of other brands being able to use Tesla chargers and the only other EV chargers in the region are at private accommodation.

“This isn’t just about convenience for locals, it’s also about tourism, accessibility and future-proofing our town. EV drivers plan their trips around reliable charging and without it, they’ll simply choose to go elsewhere.”