Shire of Harvey to investigate potential 30 per cent electric vehicle target for council’s cars by 2030

The Shire of Harvey is investigating improving its green credentials after a councillor proposed setting a 30 per cent electric vehicle target. Shire staff will bring a report back to councillors later this year about the costs and other implications of the potential target after a notice of motion by Cr Craig Carbone to look into it was unanimously supported. He told last month’s meeting the council would be setting a trend in the State if the target implemented, noting some councils in the Eastern States had a 50 per cent target by 2030. “This is saying that the local governments in WA, we are serious about it, we’ve put a target in place, and it gives us something to work to,” he said. “If we don’t have a target, what are we doing? We’ve got a policy that addresses climate change, (but) this goes a bit further than a few solar panels on a few Shire buildings.” Cr Carbone’s proposed target would only apply to the Shire’s light vehicle fleet. The council adopted a climate change declaration and corporate mitigation action plan in August 2022, and already runs four hybrid vehicles. Shire infrastructure services director Rick Lotznicker highlighted funding within the 2023-24 budget for council to buy an electric vehicle. “We’ve got State Government funding for a fast charger up at the depot,” he said. “We’ve also got funding for another fast car-charging station down on Young Street near the future Harvey hub.” Following a request from Cr Robyn Coleman to ensure the report contained information on what would happen to the electric vehicles at the end of their lives, Mr Lotznicker noted those concerns also applied to the council’s current fleet. “There is a whole other issue (with) our existing investment within our diesel fleet which will one day probably be worth nothing, so we need to make sure that we are transitioning in a way that we don’t lose money,” he said. Cr Carbone called for additional action to be taken to address the lack of charging stations in the area. “It is probably time to start entering it in building codes that when you need so many car parking bays for a complex or something big, that charging stations be mandated to be put in because ultimately the cost will be coming back to council on all of this and we will be digging up roads to put in electricity to put in charging stations,” he said. It comes as the State Government reaches the halfway mark on its expansion of Synergy and Horizon Power EV charging stations across the State.