Brookvale Depot: Plans revealed for all-electric bus fleet on northern beaches
Plans to upgrade a depot with charging stations for a new fleet of more than 200 electric-powered public buses – a Sydney first on the northern beaches – have been revealed.
Manly
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The Brookvale Bus Depot is set to become the first in Sydney to support a full fleet of electric powered buses.
Work on the $21 million upgrade, to begin later this year, will include the installation of 16 charging bays.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen also confirmed that the first of 229 new battery electric buses will be joining the Brookvale fleet, operated on behalf of the state government by Keolis Downer Northern Beaches, from next year.
The upgrade is part of Stage 1 of the government’s $3 billion Zero Emission Buses (ZEB) Program, which aims to have about 1700 electric buses across Greater Sydney — in 11 depots — by 2028.
There are currently about 8000 diesel and gas-powered public buses across NSW, but the government wants to convert the state’s whole bus network to zero emission technology by 2047.
Charging bays at Brookvale will be made up of three plug-in chargers and 13 overhead “fast charging” pantographs, making it the first electric bus depot with pantograph charging in Australia.
Ms Haylen pointed out that the ZEB Program’s roll out, which was outlined in the government’s second Bus Taskforce Report, would be supported by the Australian bus manufacturing industry.
It was announced last year that bus builder Custom Denning, based at St Marys, would be providing “Element 2” battery electric buses to Keolis Downer Northern Beaches.
“We want to help create healthier, more liveable communities, which has a sustainable transport network that doesn’t emit harmful carbon emissions,” Ms Haylen said.
“Our aim is to achieve this while supporting local industry and operators, ensuring our zero emissions, hi-tech buses can be built locally – with Stage 1 of the ZEB Program expected to support around 1,400 jobs across the construction, bus assembly, supply chain and manufacturing industries.”
The independent state MP for Wakehurst, Michael Regan, who has been persistently lobbying for an improvement to local bus services, welcomed the depot’s electric upgrade.
“As a regular bus passenger myself, I can’t wait to see the northern beaches’ fleet go electric,” he said.
“Converting the Brookvale depot and its single-deck fleet to battery electric is the first step in the journey towards northern beaches’ buses going electric.
“I can’t wait to be boarding electric buses from next year, and eventually B-Lines as well.
“Having electric buses rolling across the beaches will be a powerful symbol of the sustainable future that awaits us, if we make the right decisions and investments.
“So goodbye noisy polluting buses of the past, hello quiet, clean and modern electric buses of the future.”
Keolis Downer CEO Julien Dehornoy said he was proud to be working with the government to deliver the first depot to be fully converted to electric.
“Electric buses will deliver a more sustainable transport option for the northern beaches’ communities and cements our commitment to support governments across Australia to accelerate the energy transition with large-scale deployments in public transport.” he said.
The depot upgrade announcement comes ahead of a “Warringah & Wakehurst Traffic and Transport Forum” to be hosted by Mr Regan and independent federal MP for Warringah Zali Staggall on Thursday.
It begins at 7pm at Manly Leagues Club, Brookvale and will feature a panel of experts, including NSW Roads Minister John Graham, discussing “traffic and transport challenges” in the wake of the cancellation of the Beaches Link road tunnel.
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