BY DAKOTA TAIT
New developments in Newcastle could soon be required to be outfitted to be ready for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as part of a proposed change to planning rules.
Council is set to discuss the plan at Tuesday night's meeting, with a public exhibition to follow over the next 28 days.
Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk says it's a small investment, with a big impact.
"We know that in five to ten years, many garages across the city will be home to an electric vehicle, so it's really appropriate that our building standards adapt to allow buildings to be EV ready," Cr Adamczyk said.
"Through really simple actions, we're ensuring that the city is ready for the future."
The planning controls are the first of their kind in the city.
It would mean all new development over $200,000 and any development involving garages and parking will need to have the appropriate cabling and conduits.
It's estimated to set developers back $50 to $300 per parking space, although it's still considered cheaper than retrofitting properties.
Cr Adamczyk says it's important the city gets ahead of the curve.
"I think we're definitely leading the way," Cr Adamczyk said.
"What we've done is look to other best practice cases, like Woollahra in New South Wales, who have had these controls in place for about seven years.
"We know that momentum is building towards an electric future, so it's really time for us to be leading this charge."
