TrueGreen: Electric and hydrogen bus hub to set up shop in Moss Vale

Electric and hydrogen buses to service all of NSW will be built in Moss Vale, bringing with it hundreds of jobs to the area, if a new multi-million proposal is approved.

TrueGreen buses could be made in Moss Vale. Photo: TrueGreen

A proposal to create an industrial electric and hydrogen vehicle manufacturing plant in the Southern Highlands will bring hundreds of jobs to the region if approved.

Environmental investment company TrueGreen Group is lodging a development application with Wingecarribee Council to transform hectares of land into a green hub.

The company has indicated the plant could create hundreds of local jobs in the area and hopefully attract more sustainable industry to the region.

TreuGreen relationship manager Michael Levin said: “The overarching intent is to assemble electric buses to meet our contracts with Transport NSW.

“Moss Vale, once approved and built, will be where we construct and assemble all of those electric and hydrogen buses.”

TrueGreen Group has already acquired 50 hectares of land, adjacent to Collins Rd in Moss Vale, and has another 40 hectares under contract. The company is currently finalising the work to file the DA and hopes to break ground on the project before the end of the financial year.

Steve Horton, chair of the Southern Highlands Chamber of Commerce, is thrilled about the opportunities for the community.

“I think it’s fantastic. They’re talking about bringing a thousand jobs here,” he said.

“It’s a sustainable business, they’re going to be producing electric buses and cars. It’s a win-win.”

TrueGreen electric buses could be built in Moss Vale. Photo: TrueGreen

TrueGreen has also indicated that they would be bring much-needed skilled traineeships to the area and incorporating an “education component” which would see the business encourage school-leavers to remain in the area.

The company plans “develop a pipeline of apprenticeships to meet the needs of our facilities, and those of other, like-minded businesses we hope will be attracted to Moss Vale by our activities.”

Mr Horton said the Chamber of Commerce was thrilled about the creation of opportunities for younger people.

“As a community, we should be saying ‘yes, some work for our young’,” he said. “We’ve got to be able to give them opportunities to test the world from here.”

Moss Vale had been chosen because of its proximity to Sydney, Canberra, the ports and good arterial roads. If there isn’t the infrastructure to support the transport of the electric and hydrogen vehicles, then the Southern Highlands might miss out on a huge business opportunity.

Mr Levin said: “The total project costings are still being worked on, but safe to say the investment by the TrueGreen Group will run into some hundreds of millions in value creation.