North Sydney Council rangers target electric vehicle charging on public land in stoush with EV owners

A Sydney council is cracking down on residents charging their electric cars via power cords over public land – sparking backlash from climate conscious EV owners.

A Sydney council is cracking down on residents charging their electric cars via power cords across public land – sparking backlash from climate conscious EV owners.

Waverton resident John Slaytor is among residents who have received warning letters from North Sydney Council after rangers spotted a charging cable connecting from his home to his street-parked car.

Mr Slaytor – who does not have a driveway and is unable to park his car directly on his property – said he used a plastic covering over the charging cord at 10pm night to mitigate the risk of any potential tripping hazard for pedestrians.

But the council warning letter stated the “practice must cease immediately” and warned that a repeat offence could result in a fine of $330.

Mr Slaytor said he was “stunned” to cop the warning.

“I was astonished – we were only charging at night and we live on a very quiet street with barely any pedestrian traffic after 6pm,” he said.

A photo of the photos taken by council rangers.

“We also used a black covering on the cord so it wasn’t a trip hazard.

“A lot of homes in Sydney don’t have driveways and it’s a huge issue for electric vehicle owners because there’s no other way of being able to charge cars from home.

“We have a climate emergency but the council is instead more worried about public liability and being sued.”

Waverton resident John Slaytor.

Other Sydney councils have taken a similar no-nonsense approach to cables crossing public land including Mosman which has urged locals to use publicly available electric vehicle fast charging stations.

A North Sydney Council spokeswoman said electrical cables that run across footpaths are a hazard and the council “has a responsibility to ensure public safety”.

“Electrical cables that run across footpaths are unlawful (and) we encourage residents who are not able to charge electric vehicles on their own properties to make use of the charging facilities available at five council car parks,” she said.

“Warnings are issued for first offences where possible and over the past year council has issued fewer than ten warnings and no fines.”

A photo taken by North Sydney Council rangers of the vehicle being charged.

In NSW, an estimated 30 per cent of drivers do not have access to private off-street parking to charge an EV.

The lack of kerbside charging infrastructure has been consistently cited by electric vehicle advocates as a major barrier for the uptake in low emissions vehicles.

Mr Slaytor – who spent more than $1000 on his charging equipment – said charging his car at home was cheaper than using publicly available facilities – costing about 8c per kilowatt compared to around 50c at public charging points.

“Even with a reasonably fast public charger it takes at least an hour to charge an EV and it’s not something you want to be doing every day,” he said.

“I have solar panels and if I was able to charge from home during the day it would be a lot better for the planet.”

North Sydney Council says it has five public charging stations including at the Alexander Street and Holtermann Street car parks in Crows Nest, and the Ridge Street car park in North Sydney

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the NSW Government was investing more than $4 million in grants to bankroll public kerbside electric vehicle chargers at 391 sites across the state.